For Love
by Kishiro Kitsune
Summary: AU Dreams are odd things. For Kairi, things get even odder as parts of her dreams become true. Now she has to help save the world, find the prince, and figure out what to do about the crazy Wutaian girl who's in love with her. KairiYuffie AkuRoku & other
1. Reality 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

Pairings: YuffieKairi, OletteNamine, RikuSora, RoxasAxel, IrvineSelphie, One-sided TidusYuna

_**Edited:**_ January 16, 2010

* * *

**For Love**

_Reality 1_

Friday, March 20

"Kairi! Pssst, Kai!"

Kairi turned her head slightly to her right to acknowledge she heard her best friend. She knew from experience that if she didn't, the brunet would continue to pester her until he'd get them both in trouble.

"Riku says there's a new girl in his class," Sora whispered excitedly. "And that she's _really_ cute in a tomboyish sort of way. He says he'll introduce you if you want."

At that, Kairi turned fully around and glared at him. "For the last time, I am _not _a lesbian!"

If Sora weren't sitting at his desk, he would have put his hands on his hips. Instead, he had to settle for crossing them over his desk. "Kairi, in the thirteen years I have known you, not once have you had a crush on any guy," he said in a very patient tone. "But I _have _heard you call other girls cute. On numerous occasions, actually. You don't have anything to be ashamed of. I mean, look at me and Riku!"

"Strife, Sinclair, might I suggest that the two of you quiet down!" Said their teacher in warning.

Kairi turned back around to concentrate on finishing her homework while Sora continued doodling all over his papers. She wasn't sure if he had finished his homework or if he was just seriously bored and had _no idea _what he was doing. Privately, Kairi thought the latter was more likely.

It wasn't until the bell rang and Miss Lockheart dismissed them that Kairi and Sora were able to talk again.

"Miss Lockheart's such a bitch," Sora muttered as they packed away their things.

"Sora!" Kairi exclaimed in surprise, staring at him with wide eyes. "Don't say things like that!"

"Why not?" Sora asked defensively. "She takes out her frustrations on me just because my brotherrefused to go out with her. What I don't understand is why she's mean to you too."

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Have you _not _met my brothers?" she asked in a dry tone. "One of them stalks Cloud and, if memory serves me correctly, also turned her down. And I _know _you know my other brother; _he's_ _dating your twin. _He had her class two years ago."

"Oh, yeah," Sora said with a laugh. "Hey, I'm hungry. Lets go get lunch!"

Kairi zipped up her book bag and slung one strap over her shoulder just in time for Sora to grab her hand and pull her out of the classroom.

She couldn't help but laugh as they raced through the halls like they did every day, ignoring the teachers and gasping out a quick "hello" as they passed by their amused friends.

Miraculously, they got down to the cafeteria without breaking anything or running into anyone. Sora dragged Kairi into the pizza line, where he got two slices of pizza and she got a salad. Then they went to begin their takeover of their usual table.

"So…" Sora said after inhaling his first slice of greasy unhealthy food. "How's your love life?"

Kairi glared at him.

Grinning, Sora continued. "Met any cute guys lately? No? Well that's too bad. Maybe I should give Riku a call and tell him--" He stopped talking when she held up her spork to his face.

"See this?" she asked in an overly sweet tone. "Do you know what I'll do with it if you do not shut your mouth?"

Sora slowly shook his head. "No…. but I can venture a guess."

"This spork will go straight up you--"

"Hey guys!" Selphie chirped as she plunked herself down beside Kairi. "Irvy and Tidus went to get food so I figured I'd come over here and talk to you- and what are you doing with that spork?"

"I'm gonna shove it up Sora's nose," Kairi growled.

Selphie looked confused. "Oh… why?"

"Because he won't shut up about how I have no interest in dating," Kairi said, still glaring at Sora. Belatedly, it dawned on her that saying that to the hopeless romantic in her circle of friends was probably not in her best interests.

Selphie deftly removed the spork from Kairi's hand. "That's no reason to threaten him! He cares about your happiness just like I do."

"I don't need a boyfriend in order to be happy," Kairi said stubbornly. "I'm perfectly fine with the way things are."

"I keep telling her that she should get a girlfriend," Sora told Selphie, deliberately ignoring Kairi.

Selphie squealed and clapped her hands together. "Wouldn't she and Olette be _so _cute together?"

Sora nodded. "They would! But she's dating that Naminé girl and they're even cuter together."

"Oh, yeah," Selphie said, sounding a little disappointed. "Hey! What about Rikku?"

Sora frowned. "But I'm dating Riku! And trust me, he's _not _a girl."

Selphie laughed. "Not _your _Riku, silly! I'm talking about Rikku Spira. You know, Yuna's cousin," she sneakily added as Tidus and Irvine joined them.

"Yuna? Where?" Tidus asked, looking excitedly around the cafeteria. "Does my hair look okay? There're no stains on my shirt, right?" He frowned when his friends started snickering.

Irvine patted Tidus on the back apologetically as he took his usual spot beside Selphie and kissed her cheek. "Hey, babe."

"Food?" Selphie asked hopefully.

Irvine promptly pushed over her salad and bag of chips. He watched in amusement as Selphie tore into her meal as if it were the first thing she had eaten in days.

Kairi briefly mourned the loss of her spork before she swiped Selphie's unused one and resumed eating her food. With the arrival of the other guys she hoped the topic would turn to something better. Like sports, for example.

Unfortunately for her, Sora wasn't going to let the subject go so easily.

"Irvine, what would you say if I told you Kairi was gay?" he asked.

"I'd think it odd that it's you telling me this and not her," replied the cowboy. "Leave Red alone. She gets enough stress dealing with her brothers. She doesn't need you to add to that."

Kairi gave him a thankful smile, wishing she could fully convey how much she appreciated him saying that.

Irvine winked before returning his attention to Selphie, who was eyeing his food much like a vulture eyes a small, dying animal. He sighed and pushed it over to her. Selphie's eyes lit up as she began eating his food.

Tidus took a seat beside Irvine with a grin. "So, no school on Monday. Plans? Or do you guys wanna join me on the beach for a 24-hour party?"

"Sorry, me, Kairi, and Roxas are visiting Riku and Axel at college," Sora cheerfully said.

"We are?" Kairi asked in surprise. "Why? And when did I agree to this?"

"Last night over the phone," Sora reminded her.

"You mean when I as starting to get tired and you wouldn't stop talking?" Kairi asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Maybe…"

"Go with them, Kai," Selphie urged. "It'll be fun! And you know Riku will need help keeping an eye on Sora. With his luck he'd end up wandering off and getting lost."

"I would not!" Sora protested with a pout. Then he spotted a quartet of people making their way towards the table and waved his arm in greeting. "Roxas! Tell them I would not get lost at college!"

"Sorry, Sora," Roxas said, not sounding very sorry. "But I promised Cloud I wouldn't lie anymore."

Sora gaped at his twin in disbelief. "B-but this is different!"

"No it's not," Roxas said as he took a seat across from Sora and the other four. Shortly after, he was joined by his three friends, Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

"What's this about college?" Olette asked.

"Riku and Axel found out that we don't have school on Monday but they do," Roxas explained. "So then Axel and Sora decided that me, him, and Kairi should go to college with them. I think Axel used the excuse that we will most likely be going there next year, so we might as well get used to it."

Hayner rolled his eyes and viciously stabbed the meat-substance on his tray.

"What's with him?" Tidus asked.

Roxas shook his head. He didn't want to get into what was bothering his best friend. With his luck, he would only start a fight. None of them wanted that, especially not after what happened last time.

Kairi took the hint and quickly turned the topic away from Axel. "So, what's everyone doing this weekend? Other than stirring up the usual amount of trouble, of course."

"I'm going to visit Naminé's family," Olette said. "I'm a little nervous. None of them know we're dating yet."

Everyone winced.

"Man, that's rough, Olette," Tidus said. "Are you two going to tell them? I mean, I can't imagine it'd be good if they found out on their own."

"I don't know," Olette said with a shrug. "It's up to Naminé. She let me decide whether or not to tell my family, so I'll do the same for her. But what are the rest of you going to be doing?"

"Blitzball with Wakka," Tidus said with a mouthful of food. Bits of food particles flew across the table at Olette, who crinkled her nose in distaste. He swallowed before he continued speaking. "We'll probably be out at the beach all weekend."

"Irvy, we should go with them!" Selphie exclaimed as she grabbed Irvine's shirt sleeve. "You can play referee and I can get a tan! It's perfect!"

"I don't know about 'perfect'," Irvine replied, wincing when Selphie narrowed her eyes at him. "I have to work this weekend, remember? I told you earlier this week."

Selphie's irritation visibly melted away as she remembered that he had in fact told her that. So she pouted in disappointment instead.

"Don't do that," Irvine said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I'll make it up to you. Promise."

Selphie smiled and kissed his cheek. "You'd better! And _I'm _still going with them. Anyone else?"

"Why don't we all meet out on the old island," Kairi suggested. "It'll be just like when we were all kids!"

"Ooo! I'll tell Riku!" Sora exclaimed, excitedly waving one arm in the air. Then he dove for his book bag in search of his phone. The most amusing thing about him trying to find anything in his book bag was that it usually involved him fitting half his body inside the bag in search of whatever was eluding him. "Roxas, you should ask Axel!" he said as he resurfaced.

"Sora, do you not remember what happened the last time I invited him to hang out there? And this was _after _you went on about how we always played there and kids and going there makes you feel like you're in middle school again," Roxas said, crossing his arms on the table.

"That's was _years_ ago," Sora said dismissively, his fingers flying across the keypad of his phone as he typed out a message for Riku.

"_It was __**last week!**_"

Sora blinked in surprise. "Really? So- but wait, I remember that thing he did years ago when he went around licking people. What'd he do last week?"

Roxas blushed and looked away, eliciting laughter from most of his friends. They were sure they knew what the redhead did.

"What?" Sora asked. "I don't get it! What'd he do?"

Sora's cluelessness only made them laugh more.

Selphie nudged Kairi suddenly. "That movie we were talking about came out a few days ago. I've got some free time tonight if you wanna go see it."

Kairi wasn't fazed by the abruptness of the question. It was normal in their group to be talking about one thing and then switch to another without missing a beat. "Sure."

Selphie beamed. "Great! I tried to talk Irvy into going with me, but he says he doesn't want to go see a chick flick." She rolled her eyes and took another bite of food before giving Irvine a look of discontentment.

"Hey, you won't believe what happened in Chemistry today!"

Kairi started eating her food again as Pence began an amusing story about what had gone wrong in his science class earlier that morning.

* * *

Kairi collapsed face first in her bed after getting home from the movie theater. Going anywhere with Selphie was a trial of the fittest on the best day and a nightmare on the worst. After years of knowing the energetic brunette, she was no longer fazed by anything that happened. In fact, she had begun to look forward to outings with her friend.

"Oi, Roxas wants to know if you told me something," Axel said as he appeared in her doorway. "What should I tell him?"

Kairi turned her head so she could give him an incredulous look. _'Did he seriously just ask me that?' _

"Gotcha," Axel said before he walked past her room. "She didn't say a word, Rox."

Kairi lay there for a moment longer listening to Axel talk to Roxas and staring at her open door. It was only a few minutes before she dragged herself out of the bed to go close the door and turn out the lights so she could sleep peacefully. As she shut the door, someone stuck a foot in the way and stopped her. Reluctantly, Kairi opened the door to address Reno, her oldest brother.

"What?" she asked grumpily. He was standing in her way of sleep and she'd be damned if she would let that go unpunished.

"I heard Axel talking to Roxas about going to the beach," Reno said. "Is Sora going too?"

Kairi narrowed her eyes into a glare. "What do you think?" she snapped, wishing she could slam the door in his face. "Can't you ask Axel this?"

Reno ignored her. "If Roxas will be there, I'm sure Sora will be too. Which means that Cloud will be home all alone…"

Kairi started to close the door before his words registered in her mind. She swung the door back open so hard that it banged back into the door stopper. "Leave Cloud alone or I'll help Roxas kick your ass!" She growled, shoving him back into the hall. She glared at him for a moment and then slammed her door shut and retreated to her comfy bed.

She didn't bother to dress for the night and let herself drift off to sleep within minutes of lying down.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

So, this is my new pet project that I'll be working with alongside Mall Duty 2. This chapter is mainly to set up the world that Kairi lives in and who her friends are and everything. Next chapter things will get a little more interesting, which in my writing usually means that things are about to get either weird or confusing or both.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. You may not get a straight answer if it's something I'm not ready to divulge yet. And also, if you find any major mistakes, let me know. I'm not very good at finding them without help.


	2. Dream 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

_**A/N**_: This is the chapter that will either make you love this story or hate it. You'll see why.

_**Edited:**_ January 16, 2010

**For Love**

_Dream 1_

Friday, November 17

Sunlight filtered through Kairi's windows, cast in shades of pink thanks to the thin curtains covering them. Kairi began tossing and turning as she grew aware of the light until she finally growled and pulled the covers up over her head. She was able to drift back asleep for a few extra minutes before a persistent pounding sounded at her door.

"Kairi!" Axel yelled. "Get up! I'm not letting you make me late for school again! Get up!"

Kairi groaned and tossed back her blankets before groggily making her way over to the door and throwing it open so she could glare at Axel. "It's _Saturday_, fucktard."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "_No_, it's _Friday_. Yesterday was Thursday. Now hurry the hell up and get dressed, you prissy brat." Without another word, he turned and walked down the hall towards the bathroom.

Kairi frowned when she noticed that something was very different with Axel, other than the fact he hadn't once said anything about Roxas. "Axel," she called after him, "did you cut your hair?"

Axel paused to look back at her. "Did you fall and crack your head in your sleep? Of course not! I'm trying to grow it out." He shook his head and continued down the hall and lazily kicked Reno's door before walking into the bathroom.

Frowning, Kairi backed away and slowly closed the door. Something was very, very off. Axel had stopped growing his hair out a few years ago when it reached his shoulders. Or rather, when Roxas finally agreed to go on a date with him.

Kairi walked over to her mirrored dresser and sleepily laid the palms of her hands on the top. "What is going on?" she asked herself as she looked up into the mirror. She froze when she got a good look at herself. Staring back at her was the reflection of her fourteen-year-old self from her lighter colored, chin-length hair to the bright pink bandage on her cheek from where she fell out of a tree while playing hide-and-seek with Sora.

"Kairi! Hurry up!" Axel yelled, returning to bang on her door again.

"H-hold on!" she stammered.

"You'd better be ready in five minutes or I'll leave without you! And then you'll have to ride with Reno!" Axel said.

"I said I'm coming!" Kairi yelled back. She grabbed her hairbrush and quickly ran it through her hair before she hunted down her school uniform so she could change into it. After hopping into her blue socks she hurried out the door.

Axel was standing in the hallway waiting for her and he looked almost surprised to see her coming out of her room. "Three minutes. That's a new record."

"Shut up," Kairi said, rolling her eyes. "Let's just get to school so you can see Roxas."

Little did she know the answer to that simple statement would cause her whole world to tilt upside down.

"Who's Roxas?"

* * *

Numbly, Kairi took her seat in her old sophomore homeroom class. As if Axel not remembering Roxas wasn't enough, there were several major changes to the life she remembered. Since the day she started high school, she and the majority of her friends had shared homeroom. Suddenly, three of them were missing.

There was no Sora. There was no Roxas. There was no Selphie.

After being in the same class since second grade it was a very noticeable loss.

"…ri. Kairi!"

A pair of well-manicured fingers snapped in front of her face to get her attention. Kairi followed the arm that was attached to the fingers up to the person they belonged to. She was surprised to find herself looking into the bicolored eyes of Yuna.

"Are you listening to me?" Asked the beautiful brunette. "I was telling you about my date with Seymour and you haven't said a word! What's wrong with you?"

Kairi looked at Yuna in confusion, wondering why she was treating her as if they were the best of friends. "Sorry?" She asked hesitantly.

That seemed to be enough to appease Yuna, as she continued to talk about her date. Kairi tuned her out, more focused on trying to figure out what was going on, although she did make sure to nod every now and again so Yuna would think she was listening.

Things were not going well in her life.

First there was the age thing. For some reason she was reliving her sophomore year, sans her best friends. Second was the fact that Axel didn't know who Roxas was. She knew for a fact that he had been obsessed with the blond for years - probably ever since they first met. Third was the fact that three of her best friends were nowhere to be found. She didn't even see them while running around the grounds before class in search of them.

"Yuna," she interrupted, "where's Sora and Roxas?"

"Who?" Yuna asked with a frown. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? Maybe you should go home and rest."

Kairi shook her head. "Sora and Roxas! You know, those two boys I'm always handing out with! And Selphie, too. Why aren't they here today? They're _always _here before me!"

Yuna gave her a worried look and slowly backed away. "Okay… I honestly don't know what you're talking about. And if you're going to keep talking like this then maybe you should stay away from me for today. Or at least until you go back to normal."

Kairi could have sighed with relief when Yuna finally walked away to join the other girls towards the back of the class. She could get along with just about anyone, but Yuna was one of the few who tended to rub her the wrong way. (It probably had to do with Tidus and the mega-crush she used to have on him.)

Just as she was giving up hope of finding something that she remembered from her life that would get her through the day, who should stumble through the door but Tidus.

She heard the crash as he tripped and then the pattering of things falling to the ground before anything. So used to the occurrence, she jumped to her feet and hurried over to help him pick up his things. But instead of getting a lackadaisical smile and a light-hearted joke from the blond, she got a look of surprise and confusion the second she kneeled down beside him.

"What's that look for, Ti?" Kairi asked lightly, handing him his two notebooks. She noted with some amusement that one of them was decorated with old Lisa Frank stickers, which she knew had been placed there by his baby sister, Lenne.

Tidus dropped his eyes to the ground, stammering an apology as he searched for something with his hands.

Kairi looked around as well, wondering if he had accidentally lost a contact or something. To her surprise, it was his old glasses he had been searching for.

He slipped the thick rims back onto his nose and then blinked up at her. "I-is there something y-you need, Miss Kairi?" He stammered nervously.

"What's wrong with everyone today?" Kairi asked with a frown, "I swear, I feel like I'm stepped into some kind of bizarre alternate dimension!"

Tidus quietly continued placing his belongings back into his bag.

"Take a seat, class!" Said the teacher as she walked into the room.

Frowning, Kairi took a seat. For the remainder of homeroom and throughout all of the classes they shared, she watched the blond from the corner of her eye. _'Maybe I can get him at lunch.'_

* * *

"We need to talk," Kairi told Tidus.

Tidus looked up at her and then looked around at their remaining classmates who were watching them with wide eyes. Then he looked back at Kairi. "I-I'd rather not…"

"Too bad," Kairi said, fed up with the way her day was going. So she did what she would normally do when she wanted to talk to someone. She grabbed him by the arm and manually dragged him through the halls until they were standing outside in the courtyard. She was pleased to see only a handful of people outside.

"W-what do you want from me?" Tidus asked fearfully.

Kairi was silent for a moment while she put her thoughts together. When Tidus tried to escape back into the school, she casually moved herself in front of the door to block his way. "I woke up this morning to find that I was fourteen again," she told him. "But I tried not to let that bother me too much. I figured I was just having a weird dream. But even in my dreams Axel knows who Roxas is." She paused to cross her arms over her chest. "Do _you _know who Roxas is?"

Tidus shook his head.

"What about Sora? Or Riku?" Kairi pressed, starting to get worried. If not even Tidus could remember them then something was very, very wrong. What kind of weird world was she in if those three weren't there?

Again, Tidus shook his head. "S-Selphie?' Kairi asked, starting to loose hope. "What about her? And Wakka?"

"You mean the vice-captain of the Blitzball team, right?" Tidus asked. "Of course I've heard of him! But, uh, I don't think I know of a Selphie, though the name sounds a _little_ familiar."

Kairi let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and took a seat on the steps, cradling her head in her hands.

Tidus cautiously sat down beside her, leaving a respectable amount of space between them. "You… you really _are _from an alternate dimension, aren't you," he said in amazement. "Could you tell me what your world is like? Or, uh, what your time is like? Are you from the future?"

"A different future," Kairi said, staring at the ground. "It's just two or three years ahead of this time."

"So, are we friends there?" Tidus asked. "Us and all those other people you named?"

Kairi nodded. "There are others too. Hayner and Pence and Olette. I guess I should include Naminé too. And Wakka's girlfriend, Lulu."

"Hayner, Pence, and Lulu are all around here," Tidus said, waving a hand to indicate the general area. "What else is different there? What am I like? Do I have a girlfriend?"

Kairi couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. _That _was the Tidus she knew. "I met you in the third grade when you came in, late as usual, and your bag split open. It was kind of like what happened this morning, except Sora, Roxas, and Selphie helped pick things up too. You were pretty geeky back then… but then we introduced you to Wakka and he introduced you to _Blitzball _and you've been an obsessed nut ever since." She smiled at the memory. "No girlfriend, though you are crushing heavily on the fair Miss Yuna in my world. I think she's a bit less… bratty there."

Tidus blushed at the mention of Yuna's name and looked away.

"I guess some things never change," Kairi teased, noticing the blush. "What about me? What's the 'me' of this world like?"

"I don't really know," Tidus admitted. "This is the first time I've ever talked to you. I know you're friends with Yuna and her crowd and that you get the second best grades in the class, next to mine. The teachers like using your work as something to aim for."

"That should be easy to keep up," Kairi said. "I just hope I can remember everything."

"You will," Tidus said. "And if not, then I'll help you. But you've gotta tell me more about your world. How different is it? I mean, other than what you've already said."

Kairi laughed and began telling him some more, asking questions of her own about the world she was in.

* * *

For a day that had started out so horribly, Kairi returned home in a fairly chipper mood. She knew she at least had one person who she could talk to about the mess she was in. It was the first time she had ever felt thankful that Tidus was a fan of science fiction.

At that moment, the only thing she wasn't happy about was the fact that Axel took off the very second school had ended and left her there. If it weren't for the fact that Tidus lived just two doors down and that he invited her to ride home with him, she would have ended up walking all the way home.

Kairi stomped past Reno, who was sneaking cookies in the kitchen, and went upstairs. She dropped off her bag and jacket in her room and then backtracked down the hall to kick open Axel's door. In her anger she couldn't think of the words to say and settled for glaring at him.

Axel lowered his cell phone from his ear. "I'm talking on the phone, prissy brat. Go away."

Kairi removed her pink slipper and threw it at him.

Axel easily caught it and threw it back at her. "Why the hell aren't you at your little cheerleading thing? They'll be pissed to know you skipped on them."

'_Shit.'_ "They'll just have to deal with it," Kairi said nonchalantly, mentally cursing the fact that Tidus had neglected to give her that tiny piece of information. "Next time check with me before you leave me behind."

Axel watched her walk away, feeling a little flabbergasted. "What the hell is she talking about? She always gets a ride home with Yuna," he muttered before lifting the phone back up to his ear. "Dem, you're never gonna believe what just happened."

"_Did a monster just climb through your window?" _his friend asked.

"What? No!" Axel exclaimed, glancing out the window just in case. Demyx had an odd knack for saying weird things and being somewhat right. He frowned when he saw a big brown thing sitting in the tree in the backyard. But just as soon as he saw it, it was gone. "The hell…?"

"_There's something outside your window, isn't there?" _Demyx smugly said.

"Shut up!"

Kairi shut her door behind her, wondering why Tidus hadn't at least mentioned that she was a cheerleader. She knew she had to at least try and act like the self of her world or else people would get suspicious.

"What a day," she said to herself as she crossed the room to sit down on her bed. "What a really _weird _day," she amended.

Kairi didn't notice when the window opened all on its own and a dark form flickered into the room, landing easily on the floor. It padded silently over to the bed, where it leapt up onto the covers and made its way over to her just as she signed and laid back.

The creature chose that as its opportune moment to strike by leaping up onto her chest with a "mmrrreow?"

Kairi shot back up into a sitting position with a gasp of alarm, uprooting the furry brown creature, which jumped away from her.

"Well _that _was rude," spoke a light, boyish voice. "I was just trying to be friendly."

Kairi leapt to her feet and looked around her room frantically. "Who's there? Show yourself!" she demanded.

"I'm right here."

Kairi looked down at the scruffy cat sitting at the edge of her bed. Familiar bright blue eyes met hers and then she knew.

"No," she whispered, taking a step back. "T-there's no way! This isn't possible!"

"Of course it's possible," the cat said. "I'm talking to you and you're listening and talking back. It's really that simple."

"How come you're a cat?'

The cat blinked in surprise. "Well, that was one question I wasn't expecting," he remarked. "Would you prefer it if I took on a different form? Maybe one more human? I only took this form for the sake of convenience. It would have been weird for me to follow you around as a human. I believe you would have called me a 'stalker'." He hummed as he closed his eyes.

Before Kairi's eyes, the cat began shifting into a different form, its limbs elongating and its body changing shape and getting bigger. Fur melted away and was replaced by lightly tanned skin while the fur on top of his head grew out into the familiar chocolate spikes of her best friend's hair.

He opened his eyes and smiled. "I am Sora. And you, Kairi Sinclair, are the reincarnate of a great warrior."

Kairi shook her head in disbelief. "T-this isn't possible," she repeated.

Sora crossed his arms over his chest. "Of _course _it's possible. You just saw it happen. Sheesh, are you always like this?" he asked. However, he didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he reached into his pocket and removed a delicate silver chain with a heart-shaped locket strung on it. "This is for you. It's a Power Necklace. So long as you have it, you'll be able to use your powers even when you're not transformed."

Kairi numbly took it, letting the chain dangle from her fingers. Sora was what kept her attention though. Or rather, the fact that he had a scruffy brown tail and cat ears hidden in his hair.

"You look shocked," Sora remarked. "But not about your powers. Am I really that upsetting? I could go back to being a cat if it'd make you feel better."

Kairi shook her head, finally starting to work her brain out of the haze it was trapped in. "N-no. I'll be fine," she said as she sat down beside him. "It's just been a… an interesting day."

"Ah," Sora said in understanding. "So, I'm making it even more interesting?"

Kairi nodded.

"Well, it's about to get even more interesting," remarked the brunet. "See, there're these evil guys and you're going to have to fight them. But that's not all," Sora shifted his position to make himself more comfortable. "The bad guys are after the reincarnate of the heir of our old kingdom. We have to find him or her and protect them from harm."

"How am I supposed to fight?" Kairi asked. "I- why me? I mean, I don't really understand what's going on."

Sora beamed. "Oh, that's easy! See, the necklace is the key to your transformation which will enable you to use the full strength of your abilities. And like I said earlier, it also allows you to use them outside of your transformed state, so long as you're wearing it. However, you won't have access to all your powers or their full strength," he explained.

'_Doesn't quite answer my question…' _"So how do I, uh, transform?" Kairi asked.

"Even easier," Sora said, "Just put on the necklace and say 'Heart Ribbon Power'. And put some strength behind it."

Muttering something about feeling like she was stuck in some bizarre Sailor Moon spin-off, Kairi slid the chain over her head. Then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling very self conscious. "Heart," she spoke, feeling a deep pulse resonate from the necklace. Emboldened by the feeling, she continued. "Ribbon Power!"

For a moment, she thought nothing was going to happen and that Sora was just messing with her head. Then she felt herself being lifted into the air and her clothes melting away. Just as quickly as they vanished, her clothes were replaced by flowing ribbons winding their way around her body to form a white leotard with a pink sailor collar and a big, light purple bow. A pink heart brooch rested in the center of the bow.

Next ribbons wound their way around her toes and around her feet before flowing up her leg to form knee-high pink boots with purple trim. Then the ribbons slithered up her arms, stopping at her elbows to puff out into pink bands to hold up her white gloves. She felt the chain necklace tighten around her neck to form a choker. She shivered as a cool metallic material slid its way across her forehead and was soon accentuated by a pink heart gem set in the middle.

With a final wave of energy, a pink pleated skirt and a light purple back bow formed.

Kairi opened her eyes when her feet finally touched the ground. She gasped in surprised and hurried over to her mirror for a better look.

"My hair!" she breathed in delight. "It's long again!"

"Well, you have to look different or else everyone would know who you are," Sora said in a 'well, _duh_' tone. "Your transformation also makes you look older."

"It's darker too," Kairi said in wonder. _'Just like what I'm used to…'_

"Kind of like a cocoa red color," Sora said. "But anyway, right now we have bigger things to deal with. The Dark Ones, that's what the bad guys call themselves, are already on the move. I believe their goal right now is to collect the energy of humans so they can move aboveground more easily."

"Where are they now?" Kairi asked.

"I've located them at a jewelry store called, 'Loire Emporium'," Sora told her as he headed for the window. "Hurry, Sailor Heart. We don't have much time."

Sailor Heart nodded and quickly followed after the cat-turned-human.

* * *

Sailor Heart and Sora arrived at the jewelry store in time to hear one of the Dark One's cackle maniacally while a young woman screamed. Without any concern for her own safety, Sailor Heart shoved open the door and ran inside.

"Hey, creep!" she shouted. "Why don't you pick on someone who can fight back?"

The Dark One turned to face her, his face drawn up into an ugly sneer. Before her eyes, he changed into some sort of monster with black wrinkly skin and insect-like wings protruding from its back.

"How dare you interrupt me!" he gnashed in a scratchy voice.

"Run!" Sailor Heart yelled to the young woman.

She nodded and hurried out of the way.

The Dark One screeched loudly and charged Sailor Heart, who threw herself out of the way in the nick of time. She hit the ground heavily, sliding back into a glass case which shattered upon impact.

Wincing, Sailor Heart got back to her feet and looked to the brunet for guidance. "Sora, what do I do?" She yelled as the monster began to charge her again. For a second time she jumped out of the way, but that time she landed more gently with one knee to the ground.

"Gather your energy!" Sora shouted from somewhere. "Trust it to do what it needs to do! The words will come to you!"

While the monster recovered from crashing into another of the jewelry cases, Sailor Heart closed her eyes and focused on feeling her energy. It pulsed in waves of pink around her, invisible to all but her. She directed it to her hand, which it flowed to easily as if it had done so a thousand times before.

It was like ribbons of water were wrapping themselves through her fingers and up her arms to tickle her face. And then she knew what to do.

Her eyes snapped open, glowing blue-violet with the intensity of her power. The Dark One faltered as she raised her arm into the air and sparkling pink-violet ribbons shimmered into existence. "Heart Ribbon! Ethereal Eclipse!" she shouted.

The ribbons snapped forward and encased the Dark One in a gossamer cocoon. Kairi squeezed her hand tightly closed and in response the ribbons tightened on the creature, which gave one last horrifying screech before bursting into dust and fading away with the ribbons.

Sailor Heart breathed a sigh of relief and dropped her hand back down to her side. "Wow…"

"That was amazing!" Exclaimed the young woman as she came out of her hiding place. "How can I ever thank you?"

Sailor Heart shook her head. "It was no problem, really. I hope the damages aren't too bad."

The woman looked around for a moment and then grimaced. "It's better than it would have been if you weren't here. I don't know what I would have done."

"Heart!" Sora shouted from outside.

"Sorry, gotta go!" Sailor Heart told the woman before dashing off in search of Sora.

"Thank you, again!"

* * *

It wasn't until she and Sora returned to her room that it clicked in Kairi's mind all that had happened to her. Naturally, all she wanted to do was go to sleep and forget about all of it, but there was one thing standing in her way.

"Kai, it's time for dinner, yo!" Reno called, knocking on her door.

"Hold on!" Kairi yelled back.

"Now!" Reno kicked the door before walking away.

Kairi growled and as she rolled over onto her stomach. "Needs ta stop kickin' my door, yo."

Sora snickered as he sat down beside her. "Hey, did you know you talk like your brother when you're stressed?"

"We lived in the slums for a while growin' up. Whaddya expect?" Kairi muttered. She sighed again and rolled over on her back to stare at the ceiling. "I don' think I can do this."

"Of course you can!" Sora said enthusiastically. "Besides, it won't be just you fighting. There are others, we just have to find them. But first..." He poked her stomach, "As your guardian, I demand that you and I get food. Your powers will turn on you if you don't eat properly."

"And what about you?" Kairi asked.

"Well…" Sora tried to pull her up into a sitting position but ended up falling on top of her. "My sensory powers don't work properly if I'm not fed."

Kairi shoved him away and sat up. "And exactly how do you propose we do that? It would be weird if I brought you downstairs to eat with us."

"Then I'll go down in my cat form," Sora said stubbornly.

"Axel's allergic to cats," Kairi replied.

"But I'm not like Earth cats!" Sora persisted. "He won't be allergic to me!"

Kairi shook her head. "Do ya think they won't find it weird that Axel's not sneezin' his ass off? No. That won't work."

"Then what will we do?" Sora asked. "I have to eat!"

"I-" Kairi's voice failed her for a moment. "I'll bring you up something. It won't be much, so you'll have to go into your cat form. If you need more, I'll go get snacks later."

"Great!" Sora said happily.

Kairi got up and smoothed out the wrinkles in her school uniform. "Fine. But when I get back up here, you and I are going to have a long talk."

Sora shook his head. "No, it'll have to wait until tomorrow when I can gather some more information. But I promise, I will tell you everything I can."

Kairi nodded her acceptance and then left her room to go eat and sneak away food for Sora.

* * *

End chapter

* * *

Yeah...

I would say that I didn't know what I was thinking when I dreamed this up, but sadly I know exactly what I was thinking. And then it morphed into something bigger and I knew I had to write it.

So, it's going to have similarities to _Sailor Moon_, but it won't follow the story line exactly. I'll probably borrow a few things, like how Kairi re-meets the others. And I'll also change the names, like how I changed Kairi's to Sailor Heart (obviously, she's taking on the role of Sailor Moon). I think I'm going to go with Sailor Peace, Sailor Passion, Sailor Strength, and Sailor Love, but I may change my mind if I find something I think will work better.

And I do know who is going to be each soldier. It was easy to choose Heart and Peace, but the others took quite a bit of time to choose. Strength went through several changes before I finally found the perfect girl.

Oh, and the young woman who Sailor Heart rescued was Ellone (Squall's sister) in case you were wondering.

And before I forget my explanation of Kairi's way of talking when she gets nervous, I'm going to write it down now. See, I know when I get nervous or excited about something you can _really _hear my country-Southern accent. That and I wasn't about to change Reno's speach patterns, so I figured that Kairi and Axel would talk like that when stressed or excited about something.


	3. Reality 2

_**Edited:**_ January 16, 2010

**For Love**

_Reality 2_

Saturday, March 21

Sunlight filtered through the curtains to land on the pink and black bed sheets of Kairi Sinclair. Outside in the tree in the backyard, birds chirped and sang. Also outside was a pair of mischievous twins and a brunette with curled hair, all three of whom were trying to find a way to wake their friend.

"I don't get why we can't just go inside and wake her up," Roxas said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sora laughed as he jumped up and grabbed onto the lowest branch of the tree. "That's not nearly as much fun! Besides, we always do that."

"Yeah, silly," Selphie chimed in. "Hey! We should climb the tree! Then we could jump over through her window!"

Roxas's jaw dropped at the stupidity of the idea. Then he whipped his head around to stare at Sora when he enthusiastically agreed. "You two are nuts," he hissed. "Absolutely insane! I'm going inside, where I'll walk up the stairs and knock on Kairi's door to wake her up, _like always._"

"But that'll ruin the plan!" Selphie yelled, stomping her foot.

"I don't care," Roxas replied, "I'd rather not get beaten to death by that baseball bat she keeps under her bed." Ignoring Selphie's and Sora's protests, he turned around and entered the back door. He found himself in the kitchen with Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair, as well as Reno.

"Axel's in his room, blondie," Reno drawled. "Prob'ly waitin' for you."

"I'm here for Kairi," Roxas said. "I figured I should come in and give her some warning before those two," he jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, "really do climb the tree and jump through her window."

Mrs. Sinclair looked concerned. "Would they really do that?"

Reno craned his head to look outside, interested in watching the theatrics. "It's Sora and Selphie, of _course _they would."

Roxas muttered that he was going upstairs and left the three Sinclair's to debate the sanity of his twin and close friend. Once upstairs, he cautiously checked for any sign of Axel. He knew that if the redhead found him, he would never succeed in his mission.

He didn't see the redhead anywhere, which left him to assume that his boyfriend was shut away in his room. Roxas breathed a sigh of relief and then confidently made his way down the hall to Kairi's room, which was sandwiched between Axel's and Reno's.

The second he walked past Axel's room, the door swung open and Roxas froze before it registered in his brain that he should hurry and escape. By that time it was too late.

"Hey there, Roxy," Axel purred seductively, sending chills down Roxas's spine.

Roxas knew what that tone meant and it was never a good thing when he had other things to do. "I have to wake up Kairi before she kills Sora and Selphie," he said, trying not too look at the redhead.

Axel reached out and tenderly stroked Roxas's arm, which drew the blond's eyes up to meet his own. "But wouldn't you rather spend time with me?"

Roxas shivered and leaned into the touch, wanting nothing more than to have those arms wrapped around him in a tender embrace. He wanted to snuggle up close to the fiery redhead and breathe in that addictive scent of cinnamon and burning pine that he loved so much. And all of that only increased his desire to press himself up against Axel and pull him down for a long, sensual kiss.

'_Damn it,' _was Roxas's last thought before he did just that. He felt Axel smirk into the kiss as he was pulled into the room and knew he had lost. _'__**So **__worth it…'_

* * *

Part of Kairi's brain registered that someone had opened her door and it was that, instead of the sunlight, which caused her to awaken.

"…Sora?" she questioned sleepily. "Whaddya doin'?"

Sora froze in the middle of sneaking over to her bed and put one arm behind his head with a sheepish laugh. "Aww, Roxas already warned you."

Kairi opened her eyes and sat up in confusion. "Roxas? Wha-…" her voice failed her when her eyes landed on the other person in her room. "How is this possible?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Selphie asked, bouncing over to her friend. "C'mon, get up! We're suppose to meet the others at the beach so we can go out to the island! Wakka and Tidus are probably already there waiting. I'm sure I passed him when I was driving over."

Kairi and Sora winced simultaneously.

"You didn't accidentally run him over again, right?" Sora asked.

Selphie pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "That's mean! Just because I accidentally backed into him _one time _doesn't mean you can keep making fun of me for it!"

"You did it twice," Kairi said, flopping back on her bed. Meanwhile, her already overworked brain tried frantically to comprehend what was happening. "The second time was when you were showing off because you could drive a stick. You slammed on the gas to scare Tidus and shot off backwards. You were gonna stop, butcha missed the brake and forgot the clutch and the car stalled and rolled back into Tidus's mailbox, narrowly missing Tidus himself."

Selphie winced. "Oh yeah…"

There was silence for a moment before Selphie bounced back into her usual chipper self. "C'mon, get up and get dressed! I can't believe you're not up already! Get up!" She jumped onto Kairi's bed with her usual enthusiasm. "Get up, get up, get up!" She chanted, accentuating each word with a bounce.

"I- I will if you stop bouncing!" Kairi shouted.

Selphie stopped bouncing.

Kairi sat up again, picking a feather off of her shirt. "And if you want me to get dressed, I suggest you leave. And you might want to stay away from Axel's room."

"Huh? But why?" Sora asked.

"The same reason we all stay away from _your _room when you and Riku are in there," Selphie said.

"They're playing video games?"

"No!"

Kairi rolled her eyes and got up, pulling Selphie with her. After leading her over to Sora and taking him by the arm as well, she ushered both of them out of her room and locked the door so neither could burst back in.

"But, Kairi, I wanna help you pick out your swim suit!" Selphie called through the door. "You should wear that pink bikini!"

Kairi ignored her. The previous summer, Selphie had bought her a horrible, pink string bikini that barely covered anything. Despite knowing it was more of a joke gift than anything, she couldn't help but shudder in disgust whenever it was mentioned.

She had a more appropriate one made for the cooler spring temperatures. It was a pink one piece with long sleeves and a neat floral design up one side. She also had a pair of black swim shorts she could wear with it.

As she changed clothes, she thought about the situation she was in. First, she lived through a Friday in her world. Things were completely normal that day. All of her friends were at school and acting the same as always. And she didn't eat anything abnormal, so she couldn't blame that.

But then the next day was another Friday, which apparently wasn't weird enough on its own because it was also in a different time. Or, as Tidus put it, a different space-time.

At that moment she was thankful to be back in her own world and that it wasn't Friday. Maybe everything was going back to normal and her space-time jump was just a fluke. For all she knew, it could have just been a realistic dream gone horribly wrong.

She grabbed her towel and a spare t-shirt before hurrying off into the hall to keep Selphie and Sora from trying to interrupt Roxas and Axel.

* * *

The moment they reached the beach, Sora took off toward the rowboats to hunt down Riku, claiming to have seen a flash of silver-white hair in that direction. That left Kairi and Selphie to stand in the sand together and wait for the others to arrive. There was no doubt in their mind that the two boys were going to take off for the island without them.

"Oh, where are they?" Selphie asked crossly. "This was all Tidus's idea and he's running late!"

Kairi bit back a yawn, wondering if she should remind Selphie that originally Tidus and Wakka were going to hit the beach for training and that they never established a time to meet.

"It's probably because you really did run him over," Kairi said lightly, thinking of their earlier conversation.

"Is not!" Selphie cried. "I didn't run him over! Stop saying that!"

Kairi couldn't help but smile when Selphie then began to rant that it'd serve Tidus right if she really did run him over one of those days because of all the times he'd been late. Kairi privately thought that it would serve _Selphie _right if she did run Tidus over after joking about doing so.

'_She should really be used to this by now,'_ Kairi thought. _'Tidus is __**always**__ running late; she should be used to it. It doesn't matter if he starts out early, something will happen to make him and whoever else he's with run late. I've seen it happen. I've __**been **__with him when it happened once. It's almost like a curse…'_

"Hey, you guys are already here!" Tidus yelled in greeting as he came over the hill, his blond hair in disarray like always.

"You're late!" Selphie accused, putting her hands on her hips. "And so are you!" she directed to Wakka, who was right behind Tidus with his ever-present blitz ball in tow. Oddly, Lulu was nowhere to be found.

"It's not my fault! Tidus was the one who was driving and you know how his driving is, ya?" Wakka complained. "It's worse than yours for sure!"

"What?" Tidus exclaimed, spinning on his heel to face his friend and nearly falling over in the sand. "What's that suppose to mean? My driving isn't nearly as bad as hers!"

"You drive at least ten miles under the speed limit! And that's if I remember to tell you to go faster. I'm pretty sure we got passed by a turtle, ya!"

"Fine! I'll remember that the next time you need a ride!" Tidus yelled back.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Kairi sighed and exchanged a look with Selphie, who rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

The two boys were too ridiculous with their arguments sometimes. They could fight about anything in the world and be able to shove each others heads in the sand one minute and the next they acted like the very best of friends.

"How many others are coming?" Kairi asked Selphie, seeing no end to the boys' argument.

Selphie shrugged. "I'm not sure. Axel and Roxas should be coming, but it seems like they got a little distracted. Oh!" She gasped and hit her fist into her open palm. "We invited a new guy! Or rather, Riku did. I think he's his lab partner in Chemistry or something. And I thought Axel was bringing a friend too, but apparently not. And…" She paused a moment to glare at the two arguing fools. "Hey! Hey, _dumbasses_!" She took off her sandal and threw it at Tidus's head. Once she had their attention she asked: "Where's Lulu?"

"She could come, ya. Said she had to work," Wakka said.

"Why'd you throw it at me?" Tidus demanded, clutching the shoe in his hand. "She's _his _girlfriend! Throw it at him next time!"

"He's the one with the blitzball," Selphie said. "I'm not stupid. I know he'd throw it at me."

"Oh yeah?" Tidus said, trying to think of some way to get back at the brunette. He looked down at the shoe in his hand and smirked at her. "Well now _I _have your shoe and you're not getting it back!" He took one look at the expression on Selphie's face and turned tail and ran toward the docks.

Selphie immediately gave chase.

"Sooo…" Kairi tried to strike up a conversation with Wakka. "How are things?"

"Pretty good," Wakka said, grimacing when Tidus yowled in pain. "Don' know if I'm gonna see Lu at all this weekend. She got stuck workin' all day."

"That sucks," Kairi said. "Have you thought about going in to say 'hi' or meeting her for a quick lunch?"

"I brought it up, but she said not to. I think I might go in and surprise her. Good idea, ya?" he asked.

Kairi quickly gauged what Lulu's reaction might be to him showing up when she said not to and then nodded. "I think so. But if you think it might make her mad, you should go ask Aerith for a few flowers. Lulu likes daisies, right?"

Wakka nodded. "That's a good idea. Thanks, Kairi. But, uh, we should probably go rescue Tidus now. You know, before Selphie drowns him or somethin'."

Kairi nodded and the two hurried to the docks to join their friends.

* * *

Demyx sat down beside Kairi on the sand-covered steps with a sigh, his blue-green eyes focused solely on the guy Riku brought along with him. He didn't say a word and just kept staring, memorizing every detail of the slate-haired boy.

Kairi glanced at him but said nothing. If Demyx wanted to talk, he would. She wasn't going to press him and then have to deal with his problems on top of her own. So while he was lost in his own little world, she looked around to see what everyone else was doing.

Selphie was lounging on a towel in her yellow one-piece, soaking up as much sun as possible. Every now and then she'd sit up to yell at Tidus or Wakka for hitting the ball too close to her. One of them would yell back an apology and then go right back to playing.

Riku and Roxas were sitting on the dock with the slate-haired boy while Sora and Axel stood off to the side sulking. The two had been looking forward to having fun with their boyfriends, but instead the new guy was unintentionally monopolizing their time together.

Demyx found himself lost for breath when Riku's friend brushed back his bangs and tucked them behind an ear, revealing a blue eye. "Kairi," he whispered, tearing his eyes away to look at the redhead. "I need help."

"Yes you do," she agreed. "You've been sitting here silently sighing over him for a while now. I was about to push you and see if you'd react. But I figured you'd probably hit your head on something hard and then we'd have to rush you to the hospital, so I decided against it."

Demyx winced. "I'd rather that not happen. But still, I need help. I don't know how to talk to him!"

Kairi raised an eyebrow, having a hard time believing that he had a hard time talking to anyone. "I don't see why you can't go talk to him. Look, Riku and Roxas are talking to him right now! All you have to do is go join their conversation. I'm sure Riku would be more than happy to introduce you."

"But he's super smart," Demyx whispered. "He's, like, sixteen and a college Junior. If I go talk to him then he's gonna think I'm a complete idiot and then I'll never see him again! I'm not like you or Riku or Roxas. I'm not that smart! All I really know about is music."

"Then talk to him about that," Kairi suggested. "You're our expert on music and anything we ask you about that you don't know, you go off and research it so you _do _know about it. And who knows, maybe it'll be something you have in common. If not, then he'll learn something new."

Demyx beamed and gave her a one-armed hug before he got to his feet. "Thanks, Kai. I think I can do this."

"You can," Kairi said confidently. "Because if you don't, I will drag you back over there and force you to talk to him."

Demyx winced slightly. "Gotcha," he said, turning to walk away.

"Hey!" Kairi called after him. "You're going to do fine! Just ignore Axel!"

Demyx raised a hand in acknowledgement, focusing all of his strength on walking over to Zexion to finally talk to him.

Kairi sighed and cast her eyes around to look at how happy all of her friends looked. Even Wakka, who was getting his ass handed to him by Tidus, was laughing and having fun. She watched them for a few minutes before looking over at Selphie, who had rolled over on her stomach and had a book laid out in front of her. Then she looked over to the docks, where Axel and Sora had finally had enough and were trying to coerce Roxas and Riku into joining them on the paopu island.

She soon tired of watching her friends and got up and made her way over to the ladder that led to the tree-top walkways and huts they built so many years ago. She carefully walked across the boards, testing them in case some of them were loose, and finally arrived at her destination. It was the largest of all the platforms, nestled in-between three large trees, and the place where she and Selphie used to practice their fighting skills together while the others were busy fighting with wooden swords.

With a sigh, she took a seat on the bench in the shade. The dream was still fresh on her mind, no matter how hard she tried to relax and forget about it. What bothered her the most was how clearly she remembered it.

With most dreams it was next to impossible to remember anything other than silly little fragments. Most of the time they didn't even follow a timeline and instead jumped around all over the place. She couldn't remember the last time she had a dream that seemed to last so long and stay with normal places.

But the dream felt like any ordinary day. She could recall her confusion and fear when she found out how alone she was. She remembered her relief at finding that Tidus was still there and then later when Sora arrived. She could still feel the cool ribbons of energy as they wrapped around her during her transformation.

"It was just a dream," she told herself. "Just a silly, childish dream. It was probably because of that movie Selphie took me to see. It was about super heroes, after all. Gay superheroes. Why couldn't I have dreamed about that instead? It would have been much less weird."

"Kairi! Hey! Where'd you go?" she heard Sora yell.

Kairi stood up, brushing off her shorts, and walked over to the shoddy railing to wave her to her friends. "I'm up here!" she called.

"Then come down here!" Sora yelled up to her. "We're all going to play Blitzball! Even Selphie and Zexion have agreed to play! We just need you down here so we'll have two complete teams!"

"A complete team is seven people!" Wakka yelled.

"… never mind that! But we still need you! Come on down!"

"Coming!"

* * *

Kairi stared down Riku as she hunkered down in the water. Her team just needed one more goal to take the lead and win the game. They had been at a stalemate for nearly a half hour and they were all tired and wanted the game to end. Of course, they all wanted to _win _too, which meant the game wasn't about to end without someone landing another goal.

"Do you really think you have a chance of winning?" Riku asked. "You're at a disadvantage."

"No, that would be you," Kairi retorted. "Because we have a secret weapon."

"Oh really? And what would that be?" Riku asked.

"_Kairi! Now!"_

The redhead lowered herself into the water more and then vaulted herself into the air to spike the blitzball over Riku's head and past Roxas to slam into the net serving as the goal.

"Me," she said, smirking at Riku before she was mobbed by her teammates, with the exception of Zexion. The quiet boy hung back to start taking down the goals instead of joining in the victory party. Tidus and Sora hoisted her up onto their shoulders, chanting her name, while Demyx whooped and hollered.

Wakka swam over to Riku, shaking his head. "You couldn't tackle her. You're too nice, ya. I should have set Selphie to guard her. She would have tackled her."

"She tackled _everyone_," Riku muttered. "Including me when she 'forgot' we were on the same team."

"I always said she'd be a welcome addition to the team," Wakka remarked. "She's tough, ya. Tougher than most of the guys." He smirked when Tidus and Sora deposited Kairi in the water and then swam away laughing as she swam back up to the surface and started shouting at him. "Life's never dull around here."

"That's for sure," Riku replied, watching as Kairi caught up to Sora and dunked him under the water. _'What a great day.'_

* * *

End chapter

* * *

Oh lookie, things are back to normal. Or are they?

I have several ways for this story to go and I'm still playing with different ideas, but it will be KairiYuffie. I just have to drag Yuffie out of her hiding place and get her in here. I might be able to do that in the next chapter. _Maybe_. I'm not really planning out how I want each chapter to go, kind of like how I write Mall Duty. In fact, all I have is a rough outline sketched out in my mind of how I want this to go.

But that's okay, since it means I stay interesting in writing it too.


	4. Dream 2

**For Love**

_Dream 2_

After such a good day the day before, Kairi awoke feeling that nothing could go wrong. But that all quickly changed when she registered the warm weight resting peacefully on her chest. Opening her eyes, she saw the scruffy brown furball that was Sora. She groaned and rolled over, violently uprooting him from his sleep.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed sleepily. He sat up and shook his head before giving his paw a quick lick. Then he was up on his feet and prancing around on Kairi's side, trying to get her up.

"It's Saturday and it's nine o'clock!" he cheerfully informed her. "Time to get up! We've got work to do!"

He mewled in discomfort when Kairi's hand shot out from under the blankets and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, lifting him into the air. Then he was deposited onto the floor. Like lightning, he was back up on the bed a split second later.

"Don't be like that, Kairi," Sora said, cautiously prodding her with a paw. "We've got work to do! And I know you've got tons of questions. I can start answering some now before breakfast."

Kairi finally sat up and narrowed her eyes at Sora. "Fine. You aren't going to let up until I get out of bed anyway, are you?"

"Nope!" Sora said, a little too chipper for Kairi's tastes. "I'll be sitting outside. Let me know when you've finished dressing."

Kairi watched as he jumped down and went over to the window, which was still open. He hunched down and then sprang out of the window to land easily on a tree branch. Kairi sat in her bed for a moment longer, trying to clear the haze in her mind and will her legs to carry her over to the window so she could shut the curtain. She didn't care if Sora was technically a cat; he was still Sora and a guy and there was _no way _he was going to see her naked.

She gratefully shucked off her school uniform and undergarments, tossing them into her pink laundry basket. Then she began her hunt for something decent to wear. It seemed her 14-year-old self in that world preferred preppy, low-cut shirts and short skirts. She dug through the drawers, pushing aside clothing in hopes of finding something from her grandparents, knowing they would have given her something more fitting for her age. She finally located a one-piece black swim suit and tossed it over her shoulder so she could wear it under her clothes. Next came a purple wrap-around skirt with a pretty scalloped trim. Hiding right under it was a white and purple spaghetti strap shirt.

It was one of her favorite outfit combinations when she was fourteen, particularly on days when she was out at the island with her friends. Happy to have found something else familiar, she quickly changed into it and then threw open her curtains and called Sora back in.

"Alright, cat-boy," Kairi said, sitting down at the edge of the bed. "Explain away."

Sora leapt up onto the bed and settled down beside her. "I guess I should start at the beginning."

"That would be best, yes," Kairi remarked.

"Thousands of years ago there existed the kingdom of Radiant Garden," Sora began. "It was ruled by a magnificent King and Queen who would give their lives to save their home and people. There were few complaints during that time and their reign held together the rest of the planets in this system, including this one.

"Aside from the protection of the King and Queen and their small Royal Army, there were other warriors who fought to keep the peace; to keep outsiders from coming in and destroying our homes, for there were always those from other galaxies who wished to try and conquer this system and arrange it in a way that would better suit themselves. Those Soldiers of Protection, as they came to be called, were led by a young woman from Radiant Garden. She took on the name Heart Soldier, which later changed to Sailor Heart."

"Me?" Kairi asked in surprise.

Sora nodded. "Your incarnate."

"Why the change of name? Kairi asked before Sora could continue. "Why change it from 'Soldier' to 'Sailor'?"

"Probably because it sounded less threatening," Sora said. "They didn't want to be lumped in with the army. Anyway, there were four others who joined her to defend their homes. Each one had a different gift and was from a different planet. There was the warrior of fire from Trabia Garden; the warrior of ice and water was from Traverse; from Gaia was the warrior of lightning; and from Twilight was the warrior of light."

"All of those planets are still around," Kairi remarked. "My friend- well, um, an old friend of mine was from Trabia. But I've never heard of Radiant Garden. Where is that?"

"You would know it as Hollow Bastion," Sora said.

"The Dead Planet?" Kairi gasped. "But how? If it was so powerful back then, how did it fall?"

"I'll get to that in a minute," Sora said. "But as I was saying, there were five Soldiers of Protection led by Sailor Heart, but there were a few rogues who helped out from time to time. You may meet one or two of them. And not all of them were girls! There was at least one guy from Fantasia. I think he used plants… and he was always with some girl from Olympia…

"But anyway, unrest began growing the more the Soldiers had to fight outsiders who tried to come in and take over. People grew worried that one day they would be overwhelmed and defeated. They wanted some sort of backup team that would be able to take care of anything that slipped through.

"A breakthrough came when a scientist named Ansem and his six assistants created a creature they believed capable of protecting the planets. However, the ones they created were very primitive and the project was cancelled and all specimens ordered to be destroyed."

"But they weren't," Kairi guessed.

"Correct," Sora said with a nod. "Ansem returned to his duty as the King and Queen's lead scientist, but his assistants did not join him. Just days before the creatures were scheduled to be destroyed, there was a break-in. I remember running down there to help out when the alarm sounded. I had been in the kitchens sneaking a midnight snack, so I was one of the closest people when it happened. But anyway, I got down to the labs to find the place in shambles. Ansem was slumped over on the ground, unconscious, and there was glass everywhere. Things had been torn off the walls, exposing secret vaults which had once held all of the research. And worst of all, the cages that held the creatures had been torn apart."

He paused to take a breath. "That was the birth of the Heartless, from which sprang the Dark Ones."

"Were they the ones who destroyed Radiant Garden?" Kairi asked.

Sora nodded. "The Heartless were weak and easily dispatched of. However, they bred quickly and their numbers soon became overwhelming. And the Dark Ones were even worse. They could think for themselves. They had logical reasoning. And they could assume a human form. It was because of them that the Kingdom fell, but the King and Queen had a final ace up their sleeves.

"There was one rogue Soldier with the gift of destruction who was from the ancient planet of Spira. The King and Queen knew that a Rebirth was the only way they could win. They talked it over with the Soldiers - all of them they could find. Some agreed and some disagreed an decided to stay to do what they could to protect people. Four Guardians, myself included, were assigned to go through the Rebirth as well, so we could instruct you on what to do when the time came.

"But something went wrong. The Rebirth was suppose to cause the Dark Ones to lose their gained power and start all over, just like the Soldiers. Instead, they were sent into a cryogenic sleep and only lost a few of their powers."

"What happened to the King and Queen?" Kairi asked. "And the heir?"

"The King and Queen gave all of their power for the Rebirth to work," Sora said sadly, his ears flicking back against his skull in discomfort. "And as for the heir, he or she was reborn here in this time, same as you."

"Why don't you remember if it's a guy or girl? That seems like something pretty important."

"Not all parts of a plan go as planned."

"What does _that _mean?"

Sora turned his head away, giving a cats equivalent of a shrug.

There was silence for a moment while Kairi digested everything that she had been told. How could a dream be so complicated?

"You said…" she said slowly. "That there are four Guardians and that you're one of them, right?" At Sora's nod, she continued. "But who are the other three and where are they? Why aren't you with them?"

"We got separated when we were transported here. You see, we didn't go through the Rebirth like you did. We couldn't. What happened to us is similar to what happened to the Dark Ones. That is, we were set in a cryogenic sleep to awaken when the time was right," Sora explained. "And as for the other three… I don't really know where they are. I'm sure that once they catch wind of what's going on over here they'll be here in a flash. At least… I hope so…"

Kairi shifted, uncomfortable with the sad loneliness in his tone. She was so used to seeing him with a cheerful smile that it was heartbreaking to see him any other way. She vowed then to do everything in her power to cheer him up, even if it meant hunting down the other guardian's by herself.

Instead of continuing with the subject, Kairi changed it. "So, what do you have planned for the day?"

Sora's stomach growled and the cat gave a sheepish look. "How about breakfast?"

Kairi laughed and agreed.

* * *

Kairi was sure she was going to regret offering to buy Sora breakfast. If he was anything like the Sora she knew, who was like a bottomless pit, she felt she'd be lucky to have any munny left.

Sora behaved himself, ordering only a double stack of pancakes, three sausage links, and some eggs, which left her enough munny to get her usual chocolate chip pancakes and milk.

"After this we can go down to the beach," Sora said. "The water's colder than usual since it's winter, so there shouldn't be many people. We can practice some fighting moves that'll come in handy. You have your necklace with you, right?"

Kairi nodded, feeling the delicate chain around her neck.

"Great," Sora said. "You won't be able to use any of your powers unless we find a good secluded place, but the necklace might help draw out your fighting skills."

"Am I going to be fighting you?" Kairi asked.

Sora grinned. "Yeah. Why? You think I can't fight? I'm a trained Guardian! Guardian's require extensive training so they can assist their Soldier! Well, that and a special skill… that's why there's so few of us. The fact that there were four of us during the age of Radian Garden just shows much bad things were going."

The glimmer of sadness flickered back into Sora's eyes but before Kairi could do anything to try and help, the waitress appeared with their food.

"If there's anything else I can get you, just let me know," she said as she set the plates on the table.

Kairi looked up, planning to ask for a refill on her milk, but froze when she recognized the young girl. Sure, her pale hair was shorter and pulled back into a messy ponytail, but there was no mistaking those expressive light blue eyes.

'_Naminé…'_

"Would you like a refill?" she politely asked, pointing to the glass in Kairi's hand.

Kairi jerkily nodded and handed the glass over. As their fingers brushed, a spark of energy jumped between them and Naminé dropped the glass with a soft gasp.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed in a panicked tone. "I-I'll go get something to clean that up! I'm so sorry!" She gave a hurried bow and then rushed off to fetch a broom and dustpan.

"Hey," Sora said, tapping Kairi's elbow. "Do you know her?"

Kairi nodded, staring after her. "Y-yeah. But only barely. Her name's Naminé."

Sora frowned as he began to cut into his pancakes. "There's a strange energy around her. We'll have to keep a close eye on her."

"On Naminé?" Kairi asked in surprise. "But she's not evil!"

"You don't know that."

Kairi fell silent and poked at her food. The idea that Naminé could be in league with the Dark Ones was completely ridiculous. She may not have known her very well, but she knew from Olette that she was a very sweet girl who did all that she could to help those around her. She was about as evil as one of the butterflies in the park!

Kairi and Sora finished their breakfast in silence, neither of them too surprised when a different waitress came by to clean up the glass.

A half hour later, the two finally made it out to the beach. Sora was pleased to find that there were only a few people milling about. It was as he was pulling off his jacket that Kairi realized that the cat ears and tail he sported the night before were gone.

'_A way to better blend in?' _Kairi wondered. _'But if that's the case, why didn't he do that before?'_

"Alright, lets get started," Sora said, slipping into a fighting position.

Kairi did the same, one fist held high to block strikes to her face and chest, the other fist a little lower, ready to strike out at a moments notice. She knew she had a bit more of an advantage, since she knew _her _Sora's moves. The question was, how different was the Sora in the new world? And how used to fighting in the sand was he?

Taking a chance, Kairi made the first move. She dashed forward, easily moving over the sand with her light body, her feet barely sinking down. She unclenched her raised fist, planning to feint a palm-strike to his chin and them trip him up when he'd go to block. As she anticipated, Sora caught her wrist and the other as she brought it up, leaving her free to hook a leg behind his and pull it out from under him so he'd topple backwards. Unfortunately, she lost her balance as well and ended up falling on top of Sora, knocking the breath out of him.

To her surprise, Sora started laughing.

"Man, I haven't been knocked over like that since the last time I sparred with Riku!" Sora exclaimed. "But that's only because he knows my moves. C'mon, lets try that again!"

Kairi got off of Sora and took a few steps back, brushing herself off. Then she retook her fighting stance.

* * *

A few hours later, the exhausted and sand-covered duo walked around town and looked in the windows of all the stores while discussing what they should have for lunch.

"I'm out of munny," Kairi reminded him. "We'll have to go back to my house to get food."

"But you had munny this morning, right?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, but I spent it all on breakfast," Kairi said. "I don't know how I'm going to keep up with keeping you. But it'd be weird to bring you over for meals and introduce ya as a new friend and I can't keep you at home when you're in your cat form. Axel'll find out somehow and start freakin' out and then _I'll _get in trouble and you'll be without a home and it'll just be a whole big mess."

Sora looked over at her with an amused little grin on his face. "Do you always panic like that? It's kind of cute."

Kairi blushed. "S-shut up. This is serious! I've got to find you a better place to stay!"

"You're looking for a place to stay?"

Kairi and Sora turned around at the same time to see Tidus standing there holding a bag of hamster food.

"Not for him," Kairi said quickly, the gears in her brain turning. "For this cat I found. It's a cute little thing. Kind of scruffy. But Sora here can't keep him and my brother has allergies, so I can't keep him. Do you know anyone who could take him?"

"A cat?" Tidus asked, his eyes lighting up. "My parents have been talking about getting one lately. See, my little sister has taken a liking to them and keeps begging to have one. I know she won't take care of it and that the responsibility will fall on me, but I like cats too. Can I see him?"

"Sure. I left him up in my room where Axel can't find him," Kairi said. "We can go see him now. Oh!" She gasped suddenly, her hand raising to her mouth. Then she turned to look at Sora and asked, "Weren't you suppose to get home soon?"

"Huh?" Sora asked in surprise.

"You're suppose to be getting home, remember," Kairi said, narrowing her eyes. Not for the first time she wished that Sora was better at picking up nonverbal hints. If she hinted any more then Tidus would think something was going on and that would lead to unwanted questions.

Sora frowned but then nodded. "Yeah, alright. I'll see you later. We still gotta talk about that thing."

Kairi nodded.

Sora stayed there for a moment longer, scuffing his shoe along the ground. Then he sighed and started to walk away.

"Is he alright?" Tidus asked once Sora was out of hearing range.

"He's fine," Kairi replied. "So you want to see the cat, right? We'd better get over there. It doesn't take long for Axel to get suspicious when I keep my door closed. It'll be a miracle if he hasn't gone in there already."

'_It really will,' _Kairi mused. _'He's always going in there for one reason or another. Probably just to make me paranoid about what he's doing in there.'_

The two walked in silence to Kairi's house for most of the trip before Tidus couldn't take it anymore and started to talk about something going on in some video game forum he was a part of. Kairi let her mind wander, picking up on only a few interesting phrases from her friend.

It wasn't long before they made it to the two-toned gray house and Kairi asked Tidus to wait outside while she went up to her room to retrieve Sora. Miraculously, Axel was out hanging with his friend Demyx and Reno was locked away in his room, so she didn't have to try and sneak past either of them for once. It made her task of talking Sora into staying with Tidus much easier.

"You can't do this," Sora protested the moment she stepped into the room. "I'm your guardian! What if there's an emergency and I'm not around to assist you because I'm stuck over at his house?"

"Everything will be fine," Kairi tried to reassure him. "And it's just temporary until we figure out a better place for you to stay. Hey, maybe when we find the other Soldier's one of them will be able to take you in."

"But I'm _your _guardian!" Sora protested. "I'm suppose to protect you, not some other Soldier! I mean, not that I won't protect them once we find them, but it's the principle of things!"

"Look," Kairi said impatiently. "You're going to be just down the road and you can come over here to talk to me whenever you need to. Its not like you're so far away that you won't see me go anywhere. And Tidus will see you as just a cat so you can come and go as you please. It's not a big deal."

"That's not the point!"

Kairi sighed and sat down beside him on the bed. "Sora, you really can't stay here," she said calmly. "My brother will eventually find out that you're here and there's no way I can feet you. No offense, but you eat a lot. Or at least way more than I can sneak out of the kitchen. This _isn't _going to work. Go with Tidus until we can work out something better."

Sora was silent for a moment longer before he gave in. "Fine. But just for a while! And I'm coming over here every day!"

"Okay," Kairi agreed.

* * *

A half hour later, Kairi found herself all by herself in the park, shivering against the cooling breeze. She sat down on one of the park benches, wishing she had thought to grab a jacket before leaving the house. She knew Sora would lecture her for it later, as well as for going off on her own without letting him know she was leaving, but she had to get away from everyone for a little while.

"…gettin' way too weird, yo," she muttered to herself. "I shouldn' be havin' this dream again. One night was more'n enough."

She reached up and grasped the heart-shaped charm dangling from the chain and felt it pulse once. As she let it go, a shrill scream pierced the air. She jumped to her feet and looked around for the source, her heart pounding in her chest. The scream came again and Kairi took off in the direction it came from. She rounded one of the "blocks" of the park and gasped when she saw a grotesque humanoid butterfly-like creature which looked like something out of the movie "The Fly". It had Naminé backed up against a tree.

Kairi clutched her necklace and didn't have to think about what to do as she shouted out her transformation phrase. The transformation seemed to go more quickly than the first time, as the cool ribbons slid over her body, encasing her in the stretchy material of her sailor suit. The moment her feet touched back down to solid round, Sailor Heart drew her energy into the palm of her hand and formed a pink orb, which she threw at the creature, knocking it on the head and drawing its attention away from Naminé. Then she rushed in and delivered a kick to its head before it had a chance to fully take in what was going on. The creature flew away to the other side of the small clearing, crashing into a bed of flowers and causing petals and dirt to go flying everywhere.

Sailor Heart rushed over to Naminé's side while she had the chance and made sure the girl was okay. "Hurry and get out of here!" she advised when she found that the blonde girl was okay. "I'll stay here and take care of this. Just get someplace safe!"

"B-but--"

"Don't ask, just do it!" Sailor Heart snapped, starting to panic. She couldn't fight all out and protect Naminé at the same time! If the girl didn't get out of there she was going to end up seriously hurt. _'Where's Sora when I need him?' _

"You bitch," the insect-creature growled. "Just you wait until I get my hands on you! You'll regret picking a fight with me!"

Sailor Heart rolled her eyes, finding the statement so utterly cliché. "Somehow, I doubt that," she muttered before glancing down at Naminé, who appeared frozen in fright. "Hey, I'm going to give you an opening and then I want you to run," she whispered to her. "Run as far away as you can. Get to where there's a lot of people and hide."

Naminé nodded numbly.

Sailor Heart shifted her stance as she raised her eyes back up to the creature. "Alright you creepy bug thing," she said as she clenched her fists, instinctively channeling energy into them to intensify her attack strength. "Lets rumble."

Without waiting for a reply, Sailor Heart dashed forward, moving faster than she ever had before in her life. But the Dark One was just as fast and was able to block her hit and send her flying backwards into a tree.

Fire erupted along Sailor Hearts spine as she slumped to the ground and stars blazed behind her eyelids as her vision went dark. In that one moment, her powers spiked wildly, heating up her entire body as it tried to fight away the pain so she could get up. And then it started to fade away, leaving her exhausted and feeling as if she were unable to continue fighting.

'_No,' _she thought, desperately trying to move her body. _'I can't give up now. I have to save Naminé!' _

She opened her eyes, blinking away the fuzzy blackness and the burning bright stars. As her vision finally began to clear, she could make out the hazy form of Naminé cowering against the tree as the Dark One advanced on her. _'No!' _

One of her fingers twitched. And then another. Slowly, she moved her hand up to grasp a low-laying tree branch. Inch-by-inch, she was able to pull herself back up to her feet. "I will not let you hurt her," she growled, her whole body trembling violently from the strain placed on it. She tried to take a step forward only for her spine to erupt into a blistering pain once again. She stumbled, only able to stay standing thanks to the tree branch.

"_Wait," _a sweet voice whispered.

Sailor Heart shivered. That voice sounded so familiar to her but she knew she had never heard it before in her life. For a moment, the pain vanished as she focused on placing where she had heard the voice before.

"_She'll be okay. Watch and see."_

She started to look around for the owner of the voice but stopped when she felt it; the barest pinprick of pure energy was radiating from Naminé. It grew stronger as a pale blue light began pulsing around her before blowing out into a bubble-like sphere. Before Sailor Hearts eyes, water filled the bubble, clouding it over and making it impossible to see the girl inside. Then it burst, but instead of the power exploding outwards it imploded, drawing the energy back to Naminé, who stood there in an outfit very similar to Sailor Hearts own. Faster than anyone could blink, Naminé instinctively unleashed her power in her final attack.

"Peaceful Waters! Glacial Surge!"

The Dark One barely had time to let out a screech of anger before it was frozen in a solid block of ice. Naminé, or rather, Sailor Peace, delivered a kick to it and it shattered into hundreds of pieces before fizzling away.

It was then that Sailor Heart got to see Sailor Peace's full outfit. The leotard was white and the sailor collar attached to it was pale blue, as was the snowflake-shaped brooch pinned to the middle of the cerulean blue bow, which matched the fabric choker around her neck. Her arms were covered by white elbow-length gloves with pale blue bands holding them up. Her pleated skirt was also pale blue, as were her knee-high boots. The bow attached to her skirt was pale blue as well, which made it difficult to see that it was there and not just a malformed part of her skirt.

The most noticeable part of her outfit was the pale blue, almost white goggle-like visors which covered her eyes and hid the silver circlet which wound its way across her forehead.

"_See," _the voice gently whispered. _"Looks like you don't quite need my help yet."_

Sailor Heart quickly turned around in time to see a white-tuxedoed figure toss a white rose over to her before turned around and vanishing. Then the pain flared in her back and her vision went black.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Ta-da! I finally got this chapter finished. I'm sorry it took so long. I think my muses decided to take a mini-vacation and leave me with no inspiration. I hope it doesn't happen again for a while. It's a bit annoying.

This chapter went through a surprising number of revisions, considering it usually just gets written down on paper and then gets little changes done to it when I'm typing it up. The ending scene was probably changed 3 times and half the scenes I couldn't get written down on paper. And the whole fight scene was completely redone when I typed it up.

I don't know why this chapter was so hard to write. It really wasn't that bad.


	5. Reality 3

**For Love**

_Reality 3_

Kairi lay awake in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was beginning to seem to her the dream wasn't just a dream. Not anymore. It was something much more serious.

Her spine flared in pain every time she tried to move.

'_This… is __**not**__ good.'_

_

* * *

  
_

"Damn it, Axel! You can't go and do things like that without asking me first!"

"Well _excuse me _for trying to _surprise _you for once!"

"I hate surprises! You know that!"

Kairi sighed and set down her pen. Axel and Roxas had been arguing for a whole fifteen minutes and were steadily getting louder and louder with every minute that passed. She almost felt bad for Demyx, who was in the same room as the two lovers.

"Kaaaiiiiri," Demyx whined as he slunk into her room. "Mommy and daddy are fighting again!"

"And I bet you're the one who accidentally said something to start the whole thing," Kairi replied, picking up her pen to write down another few words. "Don't come in here looking for pity."

"Whoa. Harsh, Kai," Demyx said as he leaned his lanky form against the driveway. "I just wanted to ask if you wanted to go walk the coast shops with me. I was gonna ask Roxas and Axel to go with me, but they'll be fighting for the rest of the day and I don't want to deal with it."

"Sorry, I don't have any munny," Kairi told him. "And I have to finish this essay for Literature. You'll have to go on your own or find someone else. Maybe Selphie."

Demyx winced at the thought of taking the brunette girl shopping. "No, that's alright. Hey, what if I treat you to ice cream?" he tried to bribe. "I'll buy whichever kind you want and won't make fun of you if you pick something I think is really weird. Like sea-salt ice cream."

"That's Axels favorite," Kairi reminded him, tapping her pencil against her desk and trying to ignore the dull throb from her spine. "And he only likes it because it's Roxas's favorite."

"Then I won't have to not make fun of you," Demyx replied. "Whaddya say, Kairi? Please come with me! You don't want to stay here and listen to those two any more than I do!"

Kairi stopped to consider his proposition for a moment. On the one hand, she could stay at home and try to ignore Axel and Roxas while trying to focus on her essay (and wait for her painkillers to kick in). On the other hand, she could hang out with Demyx and have fun while putting off the assignment and avoid listening to Axel and Roxas. And maybe the trip would take her mind off of the dream and her aching back.

"Okay," she gave in. "But I get to pick where we get the ice cream."

"Deal," Demyx agreed.

* * *

Demyx was one of those people who could chatter on and on nonstop about practically anything he chose while out walking. Thankfully for Kairi, his chatter and outrageous hand gestures made him walk more slowly, so she could take it easy. So long as he didn't see something interesting and take off running, Kairi felt as though she would be able to easily get through the trip.

Which was why she grew worried when the lanky blond suddenly stopped talking.

"Demyx, are you okay?" she asked.

Demyx flinched, startled, and looked down at her. "Huh? Oh, y-yeah. I'm fine," he said. "In fact, I'm great! Never better!"

Kairi raised an eyebrow when he continued to ramble on that he was "just fine" and that "nothing at all" was bothering him.

"Why would I be okay? I mean, it's a pretty day and it's sunny and-- Have I told you how cute you look today?" he asked out of the blue. "That dress looks really nice on you."

"Oh… thanks," Kairi said, not really convinced. She looked down at the simple pink and white sundress she was wearing before she sighed and looked back up at him. "But now I know something's up. What do you need my help with this time?"

Demyx winced. "Is it really that obvious?" he asked.

"You always ramble when you're nervous about something," Kairi said. "And when it's me who you're talking to it usually means you need my help with something. So what is it? And it had better not be one of Axel's _great _ideas!"

Demyx quickly shook his head. "No! This has nothing to do with Axel! I--" he stopped talking and looked around quickly. Then he dropped his voice to a whisper. "I want to get Zexion a present."

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "A present?" she repeated. "Why? Is it his birthday?"

Demyx shook his head. "Nuh-uh. I just remember when Axel was trying to get Roxas to go on a date with him and how he kept getting him presents."

Kairi was silent for a moment before she sighed and shook her head. "Dem, do you _really _want to follow Axel's example? And keep in mind that Axel gave Roxas presents because Roxas wouldn't give him the time of day. He felt that he had to get presents to get on his good side so he wouldn't be rejected anymore. You don't need to do that. Zexion already likes you, right?"

"I guess…" Demyx said unsurely.

"Then you don't need to get him a present. Don't try to bribe him. That's a major turn-off," Kairi said. "It's a lot different to get gifts when you're actually dating, so long as you don't overdo it. Wait a date or two before you give any gifts. And keep it simple -- something he'd find useful."

"Like a book?" Demyx questioned. "He likes to read. And he wants to teach Literature. That's what he's studying for."

Kairi nodded. "That would work," she agreed. "But I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself. He hasn't even said 'yes' yet."

Demyx blushed and dropped his eyes to the ground. "O-oh, y-yeah," he stammered in embarrassment. He was silent for a moment while he looked around for something else to talk about. "Hey! There's an ice cream place!" he exclaimed suddenly, pointing out the small shop. "You want to get ice cream there? I could _really_ go for an ice cream right now and I know thy have really good ice cream there. There's soft serve and the kind you scoop out and all sorts of toppings. Sound good?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. Sora took me there before. They _do _have really good ice cream.'

"Great!" Demyx exclaimed before taking her hand and pulling her over to the shop.

Kairi stumbled and winced in pain as the pain in her back flared up, but thankfully it wasn't as bad as it was before. _'Thank you, pain meds,' _she thought to herself.

Not too long later they were sitting at a booth in the shop, she with a hot fudge sundae and he with a strawberry soft serve.

"Are you nervous about asking him out?" Kairi asked.

"A little," Demyx admitted, lowering his cone so his hand was resting on a napkin. "He… he makes me feel all weird and tingly. I've never felt like this about anyone before. And I can't get him out of my head! I'm even having dreams…" He hesitated a moment, staring at his ice cream. "It feels really weird talking to you about this."

"Would you rather talk to Axel?"

"No!" Demyx yelped in alarm. "I-- Axel wouldn't get it. He wouldn't make fun of me, but he wouldn't understand. He's been after Roxas since they were kids. That's why I wanted to talk to you. I figured you would understand since you like Tidus and all."

It was Kairi's turn to blush and stop eating the ice cream. "T-that was years ago! And how do you know about that anyway?"

"Axel," Demyx said simply. Then he shrugged and took a quick lick of ice cream. "But, uh, if you don't like him that way anymore, then who _do _you like?"

"No one."

"No one?" Demyx repeated in disbelief.

"Yup," Kairi said, taking a bite of hot fudge. "Is it really _that _hard to believe? I _like _being single. It means I don't have to deal with any couple-related bullshit problems. I have more important things to worry about - like school."

"But… it's kind of lonely. Being alone," Demyx said. "I get lonely sometimes…"

Kairi was silent for a moment, unsure of how she really felt about the subject. "Every now and then," she whispered. "I do get lonely. Seeing Sora and Riku so happy together… seeing Olette and Naminé… Irvine and Selphie… even Axel and Roxas with all of their mini-feuds. But then something happens and one of them gets mad at the other and I can't help but think… I'm glad I don't have to deal with that, you know? It just seems like being in a relationship is too much work."

"That's kind of a sucky view of things," Demyx remarked. Then his voice took on a teasing tone as he asked, "What kind of girl are you?"

Kairi rolled her eyes. "A smart one," she replied. "Now shut up and eat your ice cream."

Demyx grinned and complied.

* * *

Kairi ended up walking home alone after Demyx spotted Zexion at a coffee shop and decided to join him. She hoped he would be able to at least talk to Zexion and make sense. The poor boy was so nervous.

The auburn-haired girl hummed to her herself and looped her arms behind her back, her odd dream the farthest thing from her mind. She had almost forgotten how nice it was to talk to Demyx about stuff. He kind of reminded her of Sora and how she used to talk to him when they were younger, except Demyx was a little less clueless.

She paused a moment to look in the window of a quaint little flower shop, through which she saw a pink-haired man lovingly arrange a vase of flowers. A particularly lovely arrangement of white flowers drew her attention for a moment before a moving flash of white traveling across the sidewalk ahead caught her attention and she looked to it instead.

"Naminé?" she whispered in confusion once she recognized who it was. "N-Naminé!" she shouted, getting the attention of the petite blonde girl.

Naminé stopped and looked back at her with a look of hesitant confusion. "You're Kairi, right?" she asked once Kairi caught up to her.

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. I am," she said, shifting her weight onto one foot. "So, uh, you're back really early."

Naminé frowned. "Early?" she questioned softly. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah, you and Olette went to visit your family, right?"

Naminé shook her head. "But we didn't," she said. "Olette went to visit someone in Twilight. We're not going to visit my family until this summer."

A shiver ran down Kairi's spine. "W-what?" she stammered. "But Olette-! She said-… this doesn't make any sense. Why… why did she lie to us? She told us at lunch the other day that she couldn't hang out with us this weekend because she was going to visit your family with you!"

"I'm sure there's a reason," Naminé softly, wrapping her arms more tightly around the newspaper she was carrying "Olette wouldn't lie for no reason. I'm sure she'll tell you if you ask."

"Maybe," Kairi said, unconvinced that her brunette friend would tell the truth if she were to confront her. Her eyes fell on the name of the newspaper, which piqued her curiosity. "What's with the newspaper?"

Naminé looked down at it and slowly unfurled her arms so Kairi could get a better look. "Olette asked me to get the _Twilight Gazette _for her while she's away," she explained. "I-I couldn't help but read a little. There are some really odd things happening over there."

"Odd things?" Kairi asked.

Naminé nodded. "There have been a bunch of reports of strange creatures attacking people. But lately there's been this warrior who shows up and saves people!"

The simple remark sent Kairi's heart plummeting into the ground. The mention of a warrior saving people came far too close to her dream for her comfort. "W-warrior?" she stammered.

"Yes!" Naminé said, a far-away look entering her eyes. "She's supposed to be very beautiful. Each of the eyewitness accounts gives the same description of her, but no one has been able to get a picture yet."

Kairi felt sick. _'This can't be happening. Dreams do __**not**__ come true! Not ones like this!' _"Sounds neat," she lied faintly.

The dreamy half-smile on Naminé's face vanished and was replaced with concern. "Are you alright? You look really pale," she said.

"I-I'm fine. I just haven't eaten anything for a while. I should get home soon," Kairi said, trying to change the subject. "S-say, where do they sell those?"

"The Market Square just down the road," Naminé said, pointing in the direction of the cluster of buildings. "They have newspapers from all of the worlds there. I would show you exactly where, but my mom's expecting me home soon. I'll see you around?"

Kairi nodded in a distracted manner. "Yeah. Probably at school."

Naminé smiled. "Alright."

Kairi watched the petite blonde walk away before she turned to hunt down the _Twilight Gazette _at the Market Square. Something was definitely going on and she was going to find out what that something was.

* * *

"What's all of this? Some weird school project?"

Kairi looked up from the pages of the newspaper, sheets of notebook paper littered with her handwritten notes, and research books which littered the floor of her room. "Just some personal research, Roxas," she said told her yellow-haired friend as she looked back down at her work. "Are you heading home already?"

Roxas nodded. "Yeah. I need to make sure Sora's not trying to hide away candy in his pockets. The last thing we need is to deal with Sora on a sugar-high tomorrow."

Kairi couldn't help but smile. "It would make things very interesting. Maybe I should bring some candy with me tomorrow."

"Do it and I'll leave you alone to deal with him," Roxas threatened. He scoffed when Kairi allowed a snort of disbelief to slip past her lips. "You think I won't? Cause I-…" he stopped talking as Kairi moved one of the newspaper pages and he caught sight of the title. "Is that the _Twilight Gazette_? Why do you have that?"

"Did you know Olette is in Twilight this weekend?" Kairi asked instead of answering his question.

"But I thought she was visiting Naminé's family this weekend," Roxas said with a frown.

Kairi shook her head. "I ran into Naminé while I was in town. She told me she and Olette won't be visiting her family until this summer and that Olette is in Twilight this weekend."

"But she told us--! Why would Olette lie to s like that?" Roxas asked angrily. "She doesn't have to hide stuff like that! It's not a big deal if she wants to go visit family over in Twilight! I--" he cut himself off with a curse when his phone rang. "I'll see you later. I need to take this call."

Kairi barely got out a "see ya!" before Roxas stomped out of her room and whipped out his cell phone. She turned her attention back to the newspaper before she heard Roxas's angry voice coming from down the hall.

"_Riku, you __**bitch!**__ What the hell is wrong with your head? We've __**talked **__about this! __**Yes, I'm talking about her!**_ _I don't give a damn if you think it was a good idea, you need to fucking __**tell**__ me or Sora next time!"_

A door slammed shut and Kairi could only make out a few of Roxas's words. But from what she already heard, Kairi knew she needed to talk to Sora. Whatever was going on, Sora knew about it.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

So, the reason Yuffie has yet to make an appearance in the reality chapters is because she's holding out for a bigger role in Kairi's Dream. Yeah. That and they haven't gotten over to the college yet, which doesn't happen until Reality 4. She'll probably be in that one somewhere.

And I've noticed that in my stories Kairi and Demyx enjoy gravitating towards each other to talk about things. It's especially noticeable in this story, but there's another one I'm working on where they're best friends.

So, uh, yeah. Things are going to start getting more confusing, especially with the whole Alternating Chapters thing I'm doing. If anyone wants me to do a "in the last Reality/Dream chapter" type-thing before the chapter, just let me know. I don't have a problem typing up quick summaries.

Like always, I'll be happy to try and answer any questions. Unless I'm not ready to unveil something. Then I'll probably give a vague answer or a rough estimate of when that question will be answered. (You'll most likely get a vague answer.)


	6. Dream 3

**Last time in the Dream World:**

_Dream 2 - November 19 - _Kairi wakes up to find she's back in her "Dream" world and that Sora is curled up in his cat form beside her. Sora wakes her up and lets her dress before he starts explaining about the Kingdom of Radiant Garden (which is currently known as the Dead Planet - Hollow Bastion) and the soldiers who fought to protect it. He also tells of the four others warriors her incarnate worked with (Fire from Trabia; Ice and Water from Traverse; Lightning from Gaia; Light from Twilight). He explains how the Kingdom fell thanks to a scientist named Ansem and his 6 assistants, as well as the creation of the Dark Ones. The King and Queen gave their lives in order for one of the Protectors to perform a Rebirth, which sent each of the chosen Protectors, as well as their guardians, to the future where they could fight and defeat the Dark Ones.

Then they go out for breakfast before heading off to the beach for training. While out "window shopping", they run into Tidus, who volunteers to take Kairi's new "cat" home with him since Axel's allergic. Sora isn't happy about it, but he agrees. Later, Kairi goes for a walk in the park, where a Dark One attacks Namine. Kairi comes to her rescue, only to get knocked back into a tree. Then a mysterious figure appears just as Namine transforms into Sailor Peace and defeats the Dark One. Then Kairi faints.

* * *

**For Love  
**

_Dream 3 - November 20_

The first thing Kairi became aware of as she drifted into consciousness was that she was laying on her stomach. The next was that her back didn't hurt anymore. Instead, it was numb.

She groaned and tried to get up.

"Don't move yet!"

Kairi froze and then relaxed when she recognized the voice. Sleepily, she turned to look at her brunet friend. "What's going on?" she asked with a yawn. "Why're you in my room?"

"We're not in your room," Sora told her. "This is Sailor Peace's room. Or rather, Naminé's room. She's been keeping your back iced to keep away the pain and any swelling. We wanted to wait for you to wake up before doing anything else about it. Can you move?"

Kairi leveled a glare at him. "Do you want me to move or sit still? Make up your damn mind," she grumbled before shakily pushing herself up onto her knees.

"Great," Sora said, relieved to see that she wasn't too badly hurt. "Now you can lay back down."

"No," Kairi stated, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "I need to get home. My family will be worried."

"They won't," Sora said, pushing her back onto the bed when she tried to stand up. "I had Naminé call over there to say you were staying the night over here. The last thing we need is to arouse suspicion." He paused a moment and then looked at her sternly. "Now lay back down so I can heal you!"

'_Sora… heals?' _Kairi thought in wonder and surprise. _'What the hell is wrong with my head that I have a dream like this?' _"You heal?" she asked. "Are you sure?"

Sora looked offended that she doubted his abilities. "Of course I can!" he exclaimed. "Now lay down!"

Kairi hesitantly laid back down on her stomach and grumbled, "I hope you know what you're doing."

She felt his hands hover just over her back, lightly brushing up against the fabric of her shirt. She tried to relax her muscles only to tense up again as a tingling, tickling sensation spread from the spot Sora's hands were near.

"Relax," the brunet boy whispered.

Kairi took a deep breath and then began breathing slowly, hoping it would help her relax a little. A few painful twinges echoed among the tingling sensation, making it difficult to stay relaxed, but soon it all faded away.

Sora removed his hands with a heavy sigh and nearly fell over as he took a step backwards. "All done," he said faintly. "I'm gonna get some food now. Doing that takes a lot out of me…"

Kairi slowly sat back up, testing to make sure Sora got everything all healed. Then she swing her legs back over the bed and stood up to help Sora into the kitchen where Naminé was making breakfast. She turned around when she noticed them entering the room and couldn't help but smile as Kairi helped Sora into one of the chairs.

"Everything all fixed?" she asked as Kairi pulled out a chair for herself.

"Good as new!" Kairi said, putting on a cheerful act. "Thanks for letting me stay here. My parents would have gone ape-shit if you took me home in that condition. Not to mention my brothers would be out for blood."

"Good thing we gave them a call," Naminé said as she turned her attention back to the breakfast. She easily flipped over the omelet and double checked the sausage links before she looked back over at Sora and Kairi. She giggled when Sora yawned and laid his head on the table. "Don't fall asleep," she warned. "Breakfast will be ready soon."

Sora "hmm'd" but made no move to lift his head up.

Naminé giggled and scraped up the bacon to deposit it on a plate. Then she poked at the omelet and, deeming it edible, pealed it out of the pan and slid it onto a smaller plate. Before she turned off the stove, she rolled the sausage links onto the plate with the bacon. Then she made her way over to the table, setting down the sausage and bacon in the middle of the table and the omelet in front of Sora.

"I hope everything is cooked well," Naminé said as she took a seat on the other side of Sora. "I haven't cooked like this in a long time. Usually I just have toast or cereal."

Sora sat up and began nibbling on his food, not paying much attention to the girls' conversation.

"Do you live here all alone?" Kairi asked as she reached for the bacon.

Naminé shook her head. "No. My mom lives here too, but she's gone on trips a lot. She's a biologist."

"Neat," Kairi said, wondering if the same was true in her own world. It was the first time she had ever actually talked to the blonde girl and get to know her, which was a shame since Olette was one of her good friends. In fact, aside from Selphie, Olette was one of the few girls she actually hung out with.

In a way, it was kind of nice to talk to Naminé. For the first time in the dream world, she didn't have to pretend to not know someone.

"What about you?" Naminé asked curiously. "What's your family like?"

"There's not much to say. My dad's a fireman and my mom's an elementary school teacher. My oldest brother Reno works part-time at the Highwind Garage. I don't know what he does the rest of the time. And my other brother Axel, he's only two years older than me, so he goes to our high school. You've probably seen him around. He's kind of hard to miss with that bright red hair of his," Kairi said.

"That sounds nice. You're lucky to have such a big family," Naminé said wistfully.

Kairi shrugged and began spreading jelly across a piece of toast. After a period of silence, she said, "You know, I'm surprised you're taking this so calmly. When Sora started talking to me, I freaked out."

"To tell the truth, I'm kind of hoping this is all a dream," Naminé admitted as she set down her glass of juice. "It's so surreal; like I'm stuck in a dream where I can't tell up from down. But then I get hurt and can tell that it's all too real. And now I don't really know what to think. I'm so confused." she said in a whisper. "There's so much to remember. It's scary."

Kairi nodded in agreement. "It is. All of this stuff about different Protectors and Guardians and finding the heir to the throne feels like too much. I don't even know where to begin."

"It would help if we knew whether the heir was a boy or girl," Naminé said, looking meaningfully at Sora. "But I've been thinking about everything Sora told me and I've developed a hypothesis. Your incarnation was from Radiant Garden, right? So wouldn't it make sense that you're the princess?"

Kairi, who had been taking a sip of juice at that very moment, sputtered and spilled some of the orange liquid on her skirt. "Me?" she squeaked. "But Sora would have remembered something like that!"

"He forgot whether the heir was a boy or girl," Naminé pointed out. "You could be the one."

"She's not," Sora spoke up. "I remember that much. Kairi is _not _the heir to the throne. But for now it would probably be a good idea to let the Dark Ones think she is. If they knew we have no idea who or even where the heir is… it'd be a really bad thing. So long as they think that Kairi is the princess, they won't go looking for the true heir. That gives us one less thing to worry about for now."

Kairi and Naminé agreed and silence once again fell over them while they finished eating.

After breakfast, Sora left after saying he was going to check up on something, which left the two girls to clean up dishes alone. For a while the two were silent, unsure of what to talk about or how to strike up a conversation.

"So, uh," Kairi began awkwardly. "Did Sora tell you anything about the other Protectors? Or the other Guardians?"

"Not much. Actually, it was one of the only things he was extremely vague on," the petite blonde remembered. "All he told me about them was what element was associated with what world. Or something like that. And that the other three Guardians are with the remaining Protectors and that they'll most likely come to us."

Kairi sighed and set aside a cleaned and dried dish before accepting the next one Namine handed to her. "So all we really know is that we have to find the fire one from, uh…"

"Trabia," Namine filled in helpfully. "And lightning from Gaia and light from Twilight."

"Twilight?" Kairi repeated thoughtfully. There was something important about that world, but she couldn't remember what it was. She knew it had something to do with Namine, but she was the Protector from Traverse, so it couldn't be her.

_Olette went to visit someone in Twilight… asked me to get the _Twilight Gazette _for her… There have been a bunch of reports of strange creatures attacking people. But lately there's been this warrior who shows up and saves people!_

Kairi's eyes went wide. _'How could I have forgotten about that?! That just happened yesterday! Or today? Or… my next day in Normal World's yesterday. God, this sucks. I just did all of that research on that Mysterious Warrior in Twilight and I forgot already. If only there was a picture of her, then I could be sure…"_

"…are the only three left, then there should be one Guardian with each of them," Naminé said. "Unless there are others that Sora didn't tell us about. Or if one of them is guarding the heir." She sighed and handed Kairi the last of the dishes. "What are we going to do? We need more information than this! How can Sora expect us to protect people and do all of this other stuff when we have no idea what we're doing?!"

Kairi quickly dried the plate and set it aside before she steered her new friend over to a chair and made her sit down. "It'll be okay," she said confidently. "If Sora doesn't tell us anything new by the time we find the next member of our little team, I'll beat it out of him." She jokingly held up a fist and got a giggle out of Naminé as a reward.

"Would you really do that?" she asked.

Kairi nodded. "I would. And he'd deserve it too," she said stubbornly. "But in the mean time, we should sit back and hang out. Maybe we can even do a little training together so we can work together when we have to fight again!"

"I…" Naminé softly whispered, dropped her gaze to her lap. "I don't like fighting. I hate it. I-I could never bring myself to hurt anyone. Last night…"

Kairi understood. The first time she had to fight with her powers she relied entirely on instinct to get through it. It was probably the same for Naminé. The only difference between them was that she had a little experience fighting for fun with her friends, though it was rare for anyone to actually get hurt.

"Then we'll find a different way for you to fight without actually fighting," Kairi said.

"I could be defense and leave offense up to you," Naminé suggested. "Maybe I can make mist or something."

"Maybe," Kairi agreed. "But before we go off to train, I need to drop by my house and get some different clothes. Then we can hit the beach. Since it's November, there aren't many people there and Sora and I found a cove to practice in."

"The beach…" Naminé murmured. "I should change too. Why don't we meet up at the shack that sells ice cream during the summer?"

Kairi agreed and reminded Naminé to bring her power necklace before she let herself out the door.

* * *

Kairi collapsed on her bed later that night with a heavy sigh. Training had gone well, but using her powers without being transformed really sapped away her strength. Sora wasn't much help, since he insisted on pushing both girls past their limits. As revenge, Kairi reminded him that he couldn't stay with Naminé; he had to go back to Tidus' house.

'_My only consolation is that he's just as miserable as we are,'_ she thought. She yawned and rolled over onto her back to stare up at the ceiling.

"Yo, brat," Reno called through the door. "Knock, knock! Open up!"

"It's open," Kairi tiredly called, wondering what he wanted. It was a very rare thing for him to pop in and talk to her. At least he actually asked to come in instead of just barging through the door, like Axel, or pawing at the door, like Demyx did on occasion.

Reno opened the door and walked over to her bed to sit down on the edge of it. "Damn old man thinks he can work the hell out of me," he growled. "Thinks I'm some sort of messenger boy, yo."

A feeling of irritation rose up inside of Kairi and she had to bite back a scathing remark about his laziness. Instead, she asked, "Did you come here to complain or to talk?"

"Just wanted to talk, yo. Axel says you've been actin' weird lately. And I've never heard of this Namine girl you've been hangin' out with. It's always been 'Yuna this' or 'Rinoa that'. This is the first time I've ever heard of Namine," he said.

Kairi shrugged. To be honest, she wanted to tell him to get lost. Talking to her oldest brother wasn't very high on her list of things she wanted to do that evening. In fact, sleeping for the next twelve hours or so sounded like absolute heaven to her.

"She's in my class and we have a big project we have to do together, so we're doing it over at her place. And she's fun to hang out with. I'm allowed to have other friends, you know," she said simply.

"Yeah, well, that ain't the only weird thing," Reno said. "Now you're suddenly hanging out with that kid down the road. You know, the one you've always ignored."

"His name is Tidus," Kairi snapped defensively. "And he's helping me out with something. It's not that weird."

Reno raised an eyebrow. "Not that weird?" he repeated in disbelief.

"No, it's not," Kairi affirmed. "Is there anything else? It's been a long day.

Reno shifted his weight and got up from the bed. "Alright, I can take a hint, yo. But you ain't getting out of this so easy. We're talking tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's school."

"Get up early," Reno suggested before he left the room.

Kairi groaned and rolled herself up in her blankets, determined to get some sleep.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Sorry it took so long. I had planned on spending all of my energy finishing Mall Duty 2, but it's coming along so slowly that I gave in and jumped back over to finish this chapter. I'm not sure when I'll get the next chapter done.

I'm going to start putting summaries of the previous chapter so that it'll easier to keep track of things. I've even assigned dates to each chapter, which should help make the timeline easier to understand. (Thankfully, the dream chapters will eventually come to an end, which will make things tons easier.)

Feel free to ask any questions. I'd love to hear your guesses on who the other Sailor's are. So far we've got _Sailor Heart/Kairi _(representing Sailor Moon) and _Sailor Peace/Namine _(representing Sailor Mercury).

And it's just now hitting me how long this fanfiction is going to be. It'll probably be the longest Kingdom Hearts fanfiction I've ever written.

**Next Time in the Dream World: **Sailor Passion makes her grand appearance!


	7. Reality 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, no matter how much I wish I did. It belongs to Square Enix and Disney. Nor do I own any part of Axel's ringtone for Demyx. It's part of a song by The Offspring and it's called "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid".

Last time on Reality 3: _March 22_ - Kairi goes to town with Demyx to window-shop and get ice cream. While out, she runs into Namine and finds out that Olette lied about going to visit Namine's family and that she's gone to visit her home world - Twilight Town. Kairi also learns of a mysterious female warrior in Twilight Town, thanks to the newspaper Namine has. Then she overhears Roxas talking to Riku on the phone. She decides to talk to Sora about the weird things she's been noticing

**For Love**

_Reality 4_

Monday, March 23

Kairi sighed in contentment and snuggled into her blankets, fully set on spending the rest of the day snoozing. However, she forgot to take one thing into account. It was Monday. More specifically, it was the Monday she had off from school, which meant that at any minute Sora would arrive to drag her off to wherever it was he wanted to go.

Her door swung open with a loud 'bang!' as Axel unleashed Sora into the room. Then he and Roxas stood back to watch the theatrics unfold.

"Kairi!" Sora shouted as he leapt onto her bed, sending her flying nearly a foot in the air. The red-haired girl landed with an 'oomph!' of surprise and then kicked Sora off of her bed. He landed on his butt and let out a moan of pain.

"Jeez, Kai. Way to kill my fun," he commented.

"That's what you get for jumping on me," Kairi growled back. "What are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be at Tidus's?"

Sora looked up at her in confusion. "But why would I be over there? He's not going to college with us."

'_College?' _Kairi wondered. _'What does that have t do with…? Oh. Right.'_ She sighed and shoved back her blankets, happy that, aside from her sleepiness, she felt just fine. "Right. I forgot what day it was. Sorry," she apologized.

"Forgot? How could you forget?" Sora whined as he got to his feet. "Roxas told you just yesterday!"

For a moment, Kairi had to fight to remember what had happened the day before. So much had happened to her in such a short period of time that she was having a hard time keeping her days straight, let alone remembering everything that had happened on what day.

She remembered Roxas dropping by to visit. She kind of remembered him saying something about the college and not giving Sora candy. But there was something she was forgetting. Something important. What was it?

"…leave her to get dressed," Axel said. "We gotta leave in fifteen minutes if we're going to meet Riku and the others on time. Hurry up, brat!"

Kairi scowled and chucked a pillow at her brother's head, but he ducked out of the way just in time for it to smack into the wall behind him. Laughing, he tugged Roxas off to wait for her. Sora hesitated a moment and then skipped after them. He shut the door behind him, leaving Kairi alone with her thoughts.

Kairi slid out of bed and padded across the room to her dresser. If only she could remember what had gone on the day before in her reality.

She slowly dug through her drawers in search of something to wear, not paying much attention to what she was pulling out. She ended up with a pink t-shirt and a pair of white Capri's with pink floral designs climbing up the legs. She dressed herself just as sluggishly as she had searched for her clothes.

Honestly, if she was going to keep switching back and forth between her reality and the bizarre dream world, she was going to start keeping a journal for each one. _'Actually, now that I think about it, that's a good idea,'_ she realized. _'It would make things a lot easier.'_

Kairi picked up her brush from the top of her dresser and began running it through her hair while she walked over to her desk to get a notebook. That was when she saw the newspaper articles from the _Twilight Gazette _spread across the desktop. A gasp slipped past her lips as she finally remembered what happened.

She found out that Olette wasn't with Naminé like she said she was going to be. Instead she was over in Twilight visiting someone. At the same time there was a mysterious masked warrior who was wandering around Twilight and gaining popularity. The fact that the warrior first appeared after Kairi started having her dreams was even more worrying. Then there was the weird conversation Roxas had on the phone with Riku as he was leaving.

She had to figure out a way to corner Sora and squeeze the truth out of him.

"Kairi, hurry up!" Sora yelled through the door. "What are you doing in there? We have to go!"

"I'm coming!" Kairi yelled back, jerking open a drawer to grab a notebook. She dropped her hairbrush on top of the desk and then hurried out to meet up with her friends and brother.

* * *

"Wooow, it's so big!" Sora said in awe. "It's way bigger than the high school!"

The four teenagers had just pulled into the parking lot of East Destiny Community College in Axel's fire-red sports car and were hunting for a decent parking place. Roxas was in the passenger's seat so that Axel could reach over and rest his hand on his leg whenever he wanted while Kairi and Sora were stuck in the back.

"It's just a little bigger," Axel said as he at last found a suitable parking space. He quickly pulled into it and set the car in park before cutting off the engine. "C'mon, let's get in there. Riku and Demyx are waiting for us in the Lounge."

"The Lounge?" Sora repeated curiously. "What's that?"

"It's sort of like a food court," Roxas spoke up. He had heard plenty about the Lounge from Demyx and Axel. "It has couches to relax on and different types of tables to sit around and talk or eat at. It's a favorite hangout place from what I've gathered."

Axel grinned and ruffled Roxas's hair, making it stick up worse than usual. Roxas glared at him and tried his best to smooth it back the way it was.

Kairi felt that it was a lost cause. Out of the three Strife brothers, Roxas had to most untamable hair. In fact, the only person she knew who had less tamable hair than him was Axel. It made her happy that neither of them was a girl and that they couldn't have children together. Their poor kid would have the worst hair in the world!

"Let's get in there before Demyx starts ringing the crap out of my phone," Axel said. H unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door, gesturing for the others to do the same.

Then they were off to hunt down Riku and Demyx in the Lounge and Kairi knew it wouldn't be long before something happened. As Sora pointed out, the college was very big. He had a tendency of getting distracted easily and getting himself lost when they were in new places. And if he got lost they would spend the next few hours trying to find him, only to find him in some extremely obvious place talking to someone they've never met before.

The very second Axel reached for the door to one of the buildings, his phone went off, the ring tone blasting free of his pocket.

"_Now dance, fucker, dance_

_Man, I never had a chance_

_And no one even knew_

_It was really only you_

_And now you'll lead the way…" (1)  
_

Roxas rolled his eyes and reached into Axel's pocket when the redhead made no move to retrieve it. He flipped the red device open and put it up to his ear before saying, "Hello, Demyx."

"_Where are you? What's taking you so long?"_

"We're walking into the building right now. And it took so long because _Sora--" _he cast a glare at his twin, "--hid candy in his pockets and I had to get it away from him. Is Riku there with you?"

"_Yeah. He's sitting right beside me. Why?"_

"No reason. Just tell him that I still need to have a talk with him," Roxas said, sounding as if he could really care less.

"_Ooookay…" _Demyx said, sounding confused. _"I'll let him know. See you in a few!"_

Roxas flipped the phone shut and slid it back into Axel's pocket. Kairi and Sora exchanged glances and began making kissy faces behind their backs. They stopped the moment Roxas turned his head to eye them suspiciously. When he didn't see anything out of the ordinary he turned his head back to the front.

Axel led them down the hallway to a stairwell, which they proceeded to walk down. At the bottom all they had to do was open a door and walk into the Lounge.

Sora looked around in awe, distracted by all of the bright colors and loud conversations, until he spotted Riku's bright silvery-white hair. Kairi had to stifle her laughter as Sora, with a loud, enthusiastic exclamation, took off running and jumped on top of Riku.

Roxas sighed. "Why do I get the feeling that something is going to go horribly wrong today?" he asked himself.

"Because it's Sora," Kairi said, walking up next to him. "You know we can't take him anywhere new without him doing something to cause us trouble. But that's what makes it so much fun!"

"I guess…" Roxas muttered.

Axel reached out and ruffled Roxas's hair. "C'mon, let's get over there and rescue Riku."

"Do we have to?"

Kairi let herself fall a few steps behind them as they walked over to the bright blue and green couches that Demyx and Riku had commandeered. She was really hoping it would be a quiet, relaxing day. She'd had enough weird things happening to her to last a lifetime. Unfortunately, it didn't look like the weirdness was going to go away anytime soon.

She sighed and plastered a smile on her face as Demyx stood up to greet them and help wrestle Sora off of Riku. She stood back and watched the guys struggle before tumbling over in a heap of limbs while Axel stood back and laughed. Kairi giggled at the sight they made and then took pity on them and jumped in to help out. She laughed when Sora pulled her down with them.

Around them people turned around to stare at them and snicker at their childish behavior. The group paid them no mind and soon settled on the floor together, not bothering to get up and move to the couches. Sora had already made himself comfortable in Riku's lap anyway and wasn't about to get up anytime soon.

"Axel, get down here," Roxas said, tugging on his boyfriend's jeans.

"I've got class in five minutes, Rox. I've gotta get going," Axel said. "I'll see you in an hour, alright? We'll have a whole hour and a half to freely goof off while Riku is stuck in class."

"Are you trying to imply something?" Riku asked.

"Nope," Axel said with a grin. He stuck his hands in his pants pocket, resisting the urge to reach out and ruffle Roxas's hair again. (He couldn't help it! Roxas's hair was so soft and fluffy!) "Alright, I'll catch you guys later."

Roxas scowled as Axel walked off without another word. Just because he always swatted Axel's hand away didn't mean he didn't like the hair ruffling! Although he preferred it much more in private than when they were around large crowds of people. _'Stupid Axel…'_ he thought.

"You know, if you want him to show more affection in public then you just have to tell him," Demyx remarked.

Roxas jerked his head to look at the other blond and was momentarily taken back by how blue his eyes looked.

"You have no idea how happy that would make him," Demyx continued. "Or even if _you _show affection to _him _in public. Although that might give him a heart attack…. It'd still be fun to see the look on his face!"

For a moment Roxas considered doing something just to see the priceless, shell-shocked expression on Axel's face. "I'll think about it," he said.

Happy to have Roxas even considering it, Demyx let go of the conversation and bounded on to a new topic--a topic that involved questioning what Kairi was writing in her pretty flowery notebook.

"I've been having weird dreams lately, so I'm writing them down," Kairi said half-truthfully. She couldn't very well tell them that the same stuff going on her dreams was also starting to happen in real life too.

"Really? What are they about?" Sora asked curiously.

"It's…hard to explain," Kairi said. "I… I don't really know."

"Oh." Sora sounded a little disappointed. But then he brightened back up and said, "Then I'll tell you about the super-weird dream _I _had! First I was flying through the air and all of a sudden it started raining _donuts!_ But when I try to reach for one it turns into a rat, so of course I didn't want it after that, but once I pull my hand back it turns back into a donut! But then suddenly none of them are donuts anymore, they're those little rice cake thingy's that Cloud likes to eat--"

"Hey, those are really good!" Demyx interrupted. "I like the caramel ones."

"Really?" Sora asked. "I figured you would like the chocolate ones better."

Demyx shook his head. "Nope. The caramel ones remind me of caramel popcorn and you _know_ how much I love that stuff."

"Oh yeah… Hey, they should sell that stuff in movie theaters! They'd make more munny off of that than regular popcorn!"

"They would!"

"We should tell the people at the movie theater that they should do that!"

"Yeah! Lets do it today!"

The conversation continued like that for a while longer, with Riku and Roxas making an occasional remark. Meanwhile, Kairi wrote down everything she could think of about some of the stuff going on in real life in the front of the notebook and everything related to the dream went in the back.

And so it continued until Axel returned from class and Riku had to leave for his.

"Ready for your tour?" Axel asked the three high school teens.

"Sounds good to me," Kairi said as she shut her notebook. She was sure she had everything she could remember written down. If anything else came to mind it wouldn't be a problem to jot it down real quick.

"Great! Everyone up! Demyx, you're going to help me!" Axel commanded.

"Roger that, captain!" Demyx said with a salute. "Where do we start? Ah! The courtyard!"

* * *

A half hour later they lost Sora. Another thirty minutes after that they concluded that he was not in any of the bathrooms, nor had he somehow locked himself in a janitor's closet or landed himself in any of the offices. Fifteen minutes after that, Roxas suggested they call Riku. Axel refused and continued to lead the search while Demyx questioned why they couldn't just call Sora's cell phone. Roxas replied by removing said device from his pocket. Another fifteen minutes of searching had them all wondering why they didn't have a tracking device or a leash for Sora.

"Seriously, Roxas, your brother needs a leash. And not just any leash, but one of the ones where you can control how far away he can get," Demyx said. "And it should be blue to match his eyes."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "He's not a dog, Demyx. And what he needs is a shock collar."

"I don't know. I think a tracking device would work the best," Kairi said.

"How about all three?" Axel grumbled. "And duct tape his damn cell phone to his hand or something."

"That wouldn't work," Roxas said. "He'd just spend the whole time playing games or texting Riku. He'd never answer it if someone called."

"If we ever go someplace with a huge crowd, we're bringing walkie talkies," Axel decided. "And maybe if Riku is there he won't go wandering off."

"You'd think that," Roxas and Kairi muttered in unison.

"Let's go back down to the Lounge," Demyx suggested. "Maybe he wandered back down there when he couldn't find us. And Riku should be out of class by now. If anyone can find Sora it'd be him, right?"

The others agreed and they began to trek across the school back to the Lounge. Once they got back it didn't take them long to spot Riku and Sora over at the same space they occupied earlier. However, there was someone else with them. It was a very familiar-looking someone with blue-gray hair and a large, black leather bound book open on his lap.

"Zexion!" Demyx exclaimed in glee, abandoning any annoyance he had with Sora to go plop himself down right beside his not-so-secret crush.

Seeing Zexion sitting there suddenly reminded Kairi of her dream and the odd conversation she overheard the night before. If she could get him away from the others for even a minute or two, she could probably get Sora to tell her what was going on. By her reasoning, if Riku and Roxas both knew something about what was going on then Sora would too. Neither of them was good at keeping things from him.

"Hey, Sora, can I ta--"

Roxas marched forward to drag them off of the couch before Kairi could finish her sentence. "I have to talk to you. _Both _of your," he hissed, dragging them away from the rest of the group.

"He's probably going to tell 'em off for not calling us," Axel said, sinking down onto one of the couches.

"Probably," Kairi agreed. _'But why would Roxas drag them away to lecture them? He doesn't usually do that.'_

Deciding not to dwell on it too much, she took a seat on a squishy green chair and joined Demyx and Zexion's conversation.

* * *

Naminé slowly made her way through town, arm laden down with paper grocery bags. White headphones rested comfortably over her ears, playing some Wutaian pop songs that Olette introduced her to. Because of the music, she didn't hear people screaming or the sound of crashing as a large monster rampaged around town. She only noticed when everyone began to run past her in the opposite direction, a few of them bumping into her.

At last she looked up and slid off her headphones, looking around in confusion. She tried to get someone to stop and tell her what was going on, but no one would.

"_Monster!" _

The screams grew louder as a monstrous dark shape rose up over the buildings. Naminé gasped and tightened her grip on the grocery bags, frozen in fright. _'What is that thing?!'_

"_Graceful Cascade!" _

A bright orange-gold light swirled through the air, striking the monster as it climbed onto the roof of a building. The light sent the monster pitching headfirst onto the side of the building Naminé was on. It crashed into the ground, sending shockwaves resonating through the area.

Naminé screamed and tried to back away when it reached for her, but before it had a chance to touch her, a girl in an orange and ivory sailor suit leapt out of nowhere to deliver a kick to the creature's arm.

The monster howled and drew back for a moment before drawing its power to attack the mysterious warrior.

"Oh no you don't!" the woman yelled, narrowing her eyes behind her orange mask. She raised one hand in the air, gathering a fistful of shimmering, golden light. _"Twilight Beam!" _she yelled, directing it at the creature. The energy shot free from her hand in a straight line, crashing right into the creature. The light overtook the dark body as cracks spread and its skin began to flake off. At last the whole thing broke down and the dark energy fizzled away into the air.

The mysterious warrior sighed and twirled a piece of her corkscrew curled brown hair around her gloved fingers "Glad that's over," she muttered to herself. Remembering that there was someone behind her, she turned around and released her hair. Her lips turned up into a smile as she walked over to the petite blonde girl. "Hey there, beautiful. Are you going to be okay?"

Naminé's grip tightened on the paper bags as she nervously nodded. "Y-yeah."

"Good to hear," the brunette warrior said. "You take care of yourself on your way home. I'd hate it if anything happened to a cute girl like you." She began to turn to walk away, but changed her mind and gently kissed Naminé's on the lips.

Naminé froze at the contact, her bags slipping free of her suddenly slack grip. The mysterious warrior caught then with a gentle laugh and made sure to set them down before running off. Before she got out of sight she turned around and blew a kiss back to Naminé.

Naminé slowly sank to her knees with one thought on her mind. _'What am I going to tell Olette?'_

* * *

When Roxas came back from his talk with Sora and Riku, it was to find some blonde girl flirting with _his _Axel, who was looking rather uncomfortable with the situation. Kairi was watching them with a bewildered expression, while Demyx and Zexion were nowhere to be seen, having gone off to class.

Roxas narrowed his eyes and let a soft hiss escape past his lips when the girl _dared _to stroke Axel's cheek.

"Roxas, take it easy," Sora whispered.

"Like _**hell**_," Roxas snarled, walking right over to Axel and the blonde girl. For a split second the pupils of his eyes went narrow like a cats, making his eyes appear to shone an even brighter blue than usual. No one noticed.

"Excuse me," Roxas growled.

"Is there a problem?" the girl drawled, practically draping herself overtop the couch.

"Yes," Roxas hissed. "He's _mine_." Behind him, Sora groaned and buried his face in his hands. He hated it when Roxas got into those possessive moods.

The girl arched one perfectly plucked eyebrow, her green eyes glittering in amusement. "So sorry, I wasn't aware that he was a piece of property," she said in her lilting, false innocent voice. "I'll have to keep that in mind next time."

"He's not my property, he's my boyfriend," Roxas snapped at her, hating her sarcastic, holier-than-thou attitude. "And he's as much mine as I am his!"

"Aww, did you get that out of a romance novel?" the girl asked in a simpering tone. "Relax, blondie. I'm not interested in your redhead. I was just taking part in a friend bet, but I'm done now so I'll be going. Ta-ta now!"

Roxas watched as she sashayed away, and for a moment he could see the image of her in a skimpy black and yellow sailor suit carrying a set of yellow throwing knives in each hand. "Larxene!" he suddenly exclaimed.

The blonde girl turned her head back and winked at him before she vanished into a crowd of students.

"Roxas?" Axel asked questioningly.

Roxas sighed and settled down beside Axel, snuggling into his side. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing," he said as she wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.

"You sure? You seemed kind of bothered by her," Axel remarked, more than happy to wrap one arm around Roxas and pull him a little closer.

"You were too," Roxas replied. "Don't worry about Larxene. She's always been touchy-feely like that. She takes some sort of sick pleasure in making people uncomfortable."

"Enough about her," Riku said. "I've got a while before my next class. What should we do until then?"

"We could finish the tour," Kairi suggested. "We lost Sora before we got to see anything."

The others agreed and then there were once again off for a tour of the college. Hopefully with Riku there they could keep Sora there with them.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

(1) "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" by The Offspring

Guess who will finally make an appearance in the next chapter! That's right, _Yuffie! _At last, right? I'm really sorry that it's taking so long for her to come in. Originally it was going to be in this chapter, but I thought of a better way to introduce her. Instead you got a little AkuRoku and a bunch of other random crap happening now instead of later. Larxene just sort of _happened _and Namine wasn't suppose to meet the mysterious warrior for another five chapters. But it was too boring the way I had things spaced out, so it happened now! Oh well. I like it better this way.

I'll try to get the next chapter finished faster than a month. It's coming along slowly right now. Hopefully once I set aside a day to just sit down and write I'll get it finished. I'm going to try to get it finished and ready to post by next weekend.


	8. Dream 4

**For Love**

_Dream 4_

_Monday, November 21_

Kairi arrived at school nearly a half hour earlier than usual after Axel decided he had to steal Reno's favorite lighter and had to get out of the house. Naturally, he dragged Kairi along with him, taking great joy in waking her up early and making her hurry to get ready. Then again, he did save her from having to talk to Reno.

Because she was so early, there were very few other kids at the school. Axel had run off to find Demyx and interrupt whatever he was doing, leaving Kairi all by herself. She knew for a fact that neither Naminé nor Tidus were there that early, no matter how much they enjoyed school.

Kairi ended up walking through the halls in search of something to do or someone to talk to.

As she walked past the library she couldn't help but glance in to see if anyone was in there. That was when she spotted a very familiar girl with coppery-brown hair and dark blue knee-socks.

"Selphie!" she gasped in surprise. _'But Tidus said he had never heard of her! But that's her right there!'_

Without a second thought, Kairi pushed open the library door to go talk to--in her mind--one of her oldest friends. There was no question in her mind that it was Selphie standing there reshelving books. Very, very few girls could actually manage to get their hair like that and then actually wear it like that everyday.

She stopped herself from tackling the brunette in a hug just in time after the thought that she may have no idea who she was crossed her mind.

"Selphie?" she asked hesitantly.

The girl placed one last book back on the shelf before she turned around to face Kairi. She blinked, surprised by who was standing in front of her, before her expression changed to a cold, stony one. "Kairi Sinclair," she said in a clipped tone that was totally unlike her. "What brings you here? What do you want from me this time?"

Kairi's eyes went wide in surprise. "What are you talking about? I just want to say 'hello' and--"

"Like hell you do!" Selphie angrily interrupted. "You're just here to make fun of my hair or the people I spend time with just because I didn't want to hang out with you and your stupid friends!"

Kairi took a step back out of fear. Selphie was a fearsome force when she got angry.

"T-that's not it!" Kairi shouted, trying to convince the girl she wasn't the way she thought she was. "I'm not going to make fun of you! Why would I do that? I've always loved how you do your hair!"

Selphie rolled her eyes and turned back around to pick up new books from the cart and put them back on the shelves. "Whatever. Go find your friends and leave me the hell alone."

Kairi hesitated a moment. Before she turned to walk away, she said, "If you ever want to, you can eat lunch with me. I'll be outside in the courtyard."

Selphie ignored her and continued putting away books.

Lowering her head, Kairi slowly walked out of the library, wondering exactly what happened to cause the rift between her and Selphie. It had to be serious for Selphie to have such a grudge against her.

With her back turned and her head down, Kairi missed the way Selphie looked after her, clearly mystified.

* * *

Lunchtime seemed to come even sooner than usual for Kairi. She blamed it on her overactive imagination which insisted upon thinking up the craziest reasons as to why Selphie hated her in the Dream World.

"Ready for lunch?" Tidus asked, tapping his fingers on her desk to get her attention. "He frowned when she didn't react. "Hey!" He tried waving his hand in front of her face and finally grabbed her attention. "Man, you're a total space case today! Are you feeling alright?"

Kairi nodded and stood up, looking to the back corner where Naminé was quietly putting away her things. "Naminé!" she called over to the pale girl. "We're heading to lunch, are you coming?"

Naminé looked up and smiled and nodded, hurrying to put away her last few things so she could join them. Kairi had introduced her to Tidus earlier that morning and the two seemed to get along pretty well.

Carrying their lunch bags, the three made their way out of the classroom and outside to the mostly-empty courtyard. Along the way they passed by Selphie, who was talking to a short-haired Irvine and a boy with blond hair. Kairi looked over at the brunette but said nothing, hoping that Selphie would decide to join them on her own.

Once they were outside, the three settled down under the old oak tree and began to talk. The majority of the conversation was centered around school, since they couldn't very well talk about how Kairi was from a different time-space or about the Dark Ones.

Kairi sighed and set her lunch aside, not feeling very hungry at that moment. All of the talk about school was a little too boring for her. She had already been through all of it once and she had no desire to do it again.

"Kairi! Naminé!"

Kairi broke out of her musings and looked up to see Sora hurrying over to them with a smile on his face. _'What is he doing here?'_

"Hello, Sora," Naminé called in greeting. "Would you like some lunch?"

Sora's eyes lit up and Kairi knew there was no way he was going to leave anytime soon. She just had to hope he wouldn't let anything slip about her and Naminé being Protectors.

"Sora, this is Tidus," Naminé introduced as she handed over half of her sandwich.

"I know," Sora said before he took a bite. He chewed and swallowed before saying, "I met him the other day when I was out walking around with Kairi. Nice to see you again, Tidus."

"Uh, yeah. Nice to see you again too," Tidus said in confusion. "So, what are you doing here? You don't go to this school, right?"

"Nope," Sora said cheerfully. "I don't go to school. I'm just here to talk to Kairi and Naminé for a bit. And to give them a note. Where did I put that anyway…?" He searched through his pockets for a few seconds before finally pulling out a crumpled up piece of paper. He handed it to Kairi, who took it and unfolded it, doing her best to smooth it out.

She quickly read it over, nodded, and then handed it to Naminé. Naminé read it more slowly, taking in every word, and then nodded to Sora and gave it back to Kairi, who hid it away before Tidus could try and get it from her.

"So, have you learned anything interesting today?" Sora asked before polishing off the last bit of his half of a sandwich.

"Yeah," Kairi said with a cheeky grin. "Tidus fails as a chemistry partner."

Tidus turned beet red. "H-hey! It's not my fault I do it mixed up! And _I _learned something interesting too; you fail at fire extinguishers."

It was Kairi's turn to blush in embarrassment. "I wouldn't have had to use it if you hadn't lit it on fire!"

"You mean _try _to use it."

"It's not my fault it didn't have directions on it!"

"They were on the wall right beside it! It was bright red!"

"No they weren't!"

"Yes they were!"

Sora decided it was in his best interest to look to Naminé for the truth of what happened.

"They read the directions incorrectly and Tidus lit something he shouldn't on fire. Then Kairi panicked when she was trying to put it out and didn't notice the directions for the fire extinguisher are posted on the wall beside it," she explained.

Sora sighed. "Some leader she is, to panic in a moment of trouble like that," he said, shaking his head.

"Hey, I hear you over there," Kairi told him. "I just wasn't expecting him to _catch himself _on fire as well!"

"Well at least I managed to put it out," Tidus replied. "It's a good thing they beat into us the 'stop, drop, and roll' rule."

"Too bad that doesn't apply to magical fire as well," Sora mused. "Then again, maybe that's a good thing…"

"Magical fire?" Tidus asked. "Man, I know what you mean. If you don't know how to use a water spell or if you don't have one, your character is screwed. I know my mage has gotten caught in that a few times."

Kairi relaxed when she heard that Tidus thought Sora was talking about a video game, though she did glare at Sora, warning him to watch what he said around Tidus. She didn't want him to get involved in the mess too, even if he did already know she was a different Kairi who belonged in a different time-space.

"Have either of you heard about the new student who's supposed to be joining out school soon? I heard he's from some big city on Gaia," Tidus said.

"Gaia?" Sora asked, suddenly serious. "Are you sure?"

Tidus was taken aback by the sudden change of personality and slowly nodded. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure. That's what I heard, but it could be just a rumor."

"The rumors around here usually have some truth to them," Kairi said. "And if you heard it from your usual sources then it's most probably true. Do you know when she's going to start school?"

Tidus shook his head. "I don't even know if it's a she or a he. What makes you think the new student will be a girl?"

"Oh, um…" Kairi's mind raced for a quick explanation that made sense but couldn't come up with anything.

"You used 'he' before," Naminé pointed out. "Either one is more correct than using 'it' to describe the new student. Until we find out whether the student is a boy or a girl, either is appropriate." She sighed when she saw Sora eyeing her bad of chips. She handed it over and giggled when he tore into it like a ravenous wolf.

Watching Sora chomp his way through the bag of chips made Kairi think of Selphie and her tendency to beg Irvine for his food. How she stayed so skinny, Kairi would never know. Though it was little wonder why Irvine was so thin.

Feeling a little hungry herself, Kairi finally opened up her lunch and began eating while listening to Naminé and Tidus discuss something about the periodic table.

'_Science nerds until the end,' _she couldn't help but fondly think. _'What would I do without them?'_

* * *

Kairi ended up walking home alone that evening. Axel had run off to do something with Demyx, and Tidus and Naminé were staying after to help with tutoring. There was no way she was going to call Reno for a ride home, which left her with no option but to walk home. Even Sora had gone and vanished, which meant she couldn't ask him anything about the note he gave her earlier.

_I caught wind of a new creature in the area. Be on guard. It might go after the next Protector. They seem to go after people with relations to Radiant Garden._

'_What does that mean anyway?' _Kairi wondered. _'People with relations to Radiant Garden? Does that mean they lived there in a past life? Or does it mean one of their relatives or parents had a past life there? Or maybe it means that they were once Protectors, just like me and Naminé.' _She sighed and lowered her eyes to the sidewalk in thought. _'How is it that he always slips away the moment I have questions to ask? Roxas isn't even here to drag him off like always! He's so troublesome sometimes…'_

Lost so deeply in her thoughts, Kairi didn't even notice that she was walking straight towards a girl with short black hair who was talking to a guy wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap. If one were to look closely they would be able to see strands of golden, straw blond hair sticking out of it.

Naturally, Kairi smacked right into the girl and fell backwards in surprise, landing heavily on her butt.

"Hey, are you alright?" the raven-haired girl asked, turning around to look down at her.

'_I cannot __**believe **__I did that,' _Kairi thought, furious with herself. "I'm fine," she told the girl, refusing to meet her gaze. How _embarrassing!_ How could she have let herself get so lost in thought that she actually walked into someone?!

The girl grinned and held out a hand to help her up, Kairi gratefully took it, but still refused to look her in the eyes.

"Don't worry about it. I do the same thing _all _the time. Isn't that right, spiky?" she asked her friend, who nodded in response. "See? No big deal! So cheer up. It's not like I'm going to go around telling people."

"No, I'll be the one who has to hear about it all day," her companion said. "And then you'll probably go on about how adorable she is."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Don't be a jerk."

Kairi nervously brushed off the back of her skirt before bending over to pick up her school bag. The guy sounded so familiar to her, but she couldn't place who he was. He was someone she was very familiar with.

"Although…"

Kairi felt a pair of eyes on her and looked up to see the girl looking at her with a thoughtful look on her face. _'Why do I have a bad feeling that something weird is going to happen?'_

"…you _are_ awfully cute. And you kind of remind me of…" The girl's gaze feel to the necklace around Kairi's neck and she tapped it with a grin. "…someone," she finished.

"Yuffie," the guy said in warning.

"Oh, fine," Yuffie said as she backed off. "You're such a stick-in-the-mud sometimes, you know that?"

"Yes," he said simply. "This bus is here."

Yuffie looked disappointed by the news. "Already? But since when is is _ever _on time? Stupid bus," she muttered as it rolled to a stop in front of them and opened its doors. "Well, see you around, Red," she said with a wink as her companion ushered her onto the bus.

"It's _Kairi!_" she yelled after her, feeling miffed at being called 'Red' by someone she didn't know.

Yuffie glanced back and smiled, but said nothing more.

Kairi watched as the bus pulled away and then shook her head and continued walking. _'Well, I was right about one thing. That was definitely weird. And what kind of girl goes around calling random girls cute?! Well, other than Olette. And sometimes Selphie when she gets in her weird moods.' _She sighed and made sure to keep her eyes focused straight ahead so she wouldn't bump into anymore people. _'I have really weird friends,'_ she realized. _'Most of whom are…not straight. I wonder if being gay is contagious like laughter. I mean, you hang out with gay people and become used to it and see that it's not any different from straight couples and then you find yourself checking out other girls and--…'_ she stopped that train of thought and shook her head. _'Wow. I think Sora has somehow managed to worm his way into my head.'_

A shrill scream pierced trough her thoughts and Kairi looked around, trying to figure out where it came from. If it was a monster she had to act quickly. The scream came again from somewhere up ahead and Kairi took off running in that direction, her heart pounding in her chest. If what Sora's note said was true, the person in trouble could be another Protector!

"Someone help!"

Kairi ducked into the nearest ally and hid behind a trash bin as she clutched her Power Necklace. _"Heart Ribbon Power!" _She felt the ever-more familiar cool ribbons slide over her body as they transformed her into the soldier of justice, Sailor Heart. Once it came to an end, she began running through the back ally's, not wanting to bee seen by a ton of people.

'_Where are you?' _she wondered.

"Get away from me, you- you-monster!" a girl screamed from somewhere up ahead.

"_Heart Ribbon!" _Sailor Heart whispered, drawing out her power into a shimmering pink ribbon of energy. It flowed around her as she ran towards the source of the commotion. _"Ethereal Eclipse!" _she yelled the second she saw the monster, directing the ribbon towards it.

The monster went flying back into a trash bin, bending it in with a loud, grating noise. Sailor Heart took the chance to hurry forward to help the poor girl who was attacked. Her eyes went wide behind her pink mask when she saw who it was.

"Selphie!" she gasped.

The skinny brunette girl looked up in fear. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" she demanded.

"I'm Sailor Heart. I'm here to save you from that monster," the pink-suited warrior explained. "You should get out of here. It looks like it's getting back up."

'_Where's Peace when I need her?' _Sailor Heart wondered. _'I don't think I can do this on my own.'_

"Are you kidding?" Selphie asked incredulously. "That thing's huge and all your powers did was knock it back! I can't leave you to fight this thing alone. No way! Let me help!" Sailor Heart shook her head, not for the first time wishing that Selphie wasn't so damn stubborn. "You'll get hurt. Get out of here!" she ordered.

Selphie shook her head and then stared at something over Sailor Heart's shoulder. "W-watch out!" she screamed.

"_Light!"_

"_Peaceful Waters! Glacial Surge!"_

A beam of light surrounded by freezing water crashed into the monster, sending it reeling back. Right after that, Sora and Sailor Peace jumped down off of the rooftops and landed in the ally to help fight.

"Hope we're not too late," Sailor Peace said. "I had to make up an excuse to get away from Tidus."

Sailor Heart smiled at her gratefully. "You're just in time. But since when do you have powers, Sora?"

"Since forever," Sora replied. "Any idea how to beat this thing? It doesn't really look like our powers are working very well."

"How about fire?" Selphie asked, clenching her fists, her head bowed so her hair covered her face.

"Fire, huh?" Sora murmured, strangely unfazed by the question. "I guess it's worth a try, _Passion."_

Selphie lifted her head, her eyes glowing red. "Sounds good to me," she growled before fire erupted around her, burning away her clothing and swirling through her hair and over her skin, leaving a red and yellow sailor suit in its wake. _"Passionate Flames! Burning embers!"_ she exclaimed , building up a ball of fire before throwing it at the monster.

It screeched in anger as it burst into flames and then fizzled away into a pile pf ash and blew away on the wind.

"Whoa, trippy."

Sora and the two other Protectors turned to look at Sailor Passion, who was examining her new clothes in great interest.

"How do you feel?" Sailor Peace asked.

"Fine, I think," Sailor Passion replied. "I'm guessing this isn't some kind of ulta-bizarre dream. It's too weird for even one of _my _dreams." She looked at where the monster had last been at and let her arms fall to her sides. "So, what now?"

"We need to find a good meeting place so we can fill in Sailor Passion," Sora said. "Peace, can we use your place again?"

Sailor Peace nodded. "Of course. Follow me."

'_Things are getting complicated… Now Selphie's Sailor Passion? What's next? Cloud as Sailor Strength?' _She snorted and shook her head at the thought. _'No way. That's too ridiculous. It'll probably be Roxas.'_

"Heart, you should call your parents! It looks like another long night," Sailor Peace said.

Sailor Heart nodded. She'd make sure to call her mom once they got to Peace's house. It wasn't like she had a cell phone to use to call them. She wouldn't get that until she got her drivers license.

Right then all she had to worry about was Selphie's reaction to finding out who she was. It would be interesting for sure.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

I meant to have this up over the weekend, but my muses didn't want to cooperate with that. But I finished it up today, so it's all good, right? And I even got Yuffie to come out of hiding for a nice appearance with a mysterious friend! Although it's fairly obvious who he is. At least I think it is.

Now there are only two Protector's left. Sailor Strength and Sailor Love, as well as three Guardians who have yet to be found.

Okay, I take that back. There are more Protectors who have yet to be introduced, but Strength and Love will be the last of the _main _Protectors. Kind of. I haven't planned very far ahead yet.

**Next Time: **_Reality 5 - Wednesday, March 25_

Yuffie makes another appearance while Kairi stresses over how to corner Sora to talk to him about everything going on. Meanwhile, Namine is worried about what Olette will have to say about the Mysterious Warrior kissing her.


	9. Reality 5

Disclaimer: I still don't own Kingdom Hearts.

**AN: **Guess what! This chapter has actually been **edited**! As in, one of my friends went through this thing and pointed out stuff for me to fix. And I even noticed a few things as I read through it.

* * *

**For Love**

Reality 5- _Wednesday, March 25_

Kairi gritted her teeth as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. It had been two days in her reality since her trip to the college with Sora and Roxas and she still hadn't been able to get Sora alone to talk to him. She had to talk to him soon. She couldn't keep going, day after day, without knowing what was going on with her life.

When she got up that morning to head to school, she felt that it was going to be a good day. She knew for a fact that Axel was going to kidnap Roxas after school to drag him off for the evening and Reno had plans to stalk Cloud after work, which took away two of the biggest obstacles to talking to Sora. Plus, Riku had night classes and wouldn't be around to distract Sora all evening, which was a bonus.

However, there was still a problem. Selphie.

"Kairi, what do you think of this one?" Selphie asked, holding up a yellow and blue plaid dress.

Kairi sighed. "It's nice," she said, glancing anxiously at the exit. Normally, she would love to go shopping with Kairi. The two of them could make it an all-day event and get a bunch of neat stuff. She just wasn't feeling up to shopping on that particular day.

"What's with you today?" Selphie asked as she put the dress back on a rack. "You've showed absolutely no enthusiasm this whole time we've been out! Is something bothering you?"

"Bothering me?" Kairi repeated, blinking her eyes as she cocked her head to the side If Selphie knew that something was really bothering her, she'd be on her like a puppy with a new toy. "Nope! I'm just fine! It's just that, uh, my stomach is bothering me."

"Oh," Selphie said in an understanding tone. "Well alright. You want to go get something to eat or drink? We can go sit down for a while."

"No, no," Kairi said, waving her hands. "I'm fine, really. I just might go home early is all. I've got some homework I need to get done too."

Selphie nodded. "I know. That English assignment is killer, right? I can't believe she expects us to put that much effort into it!"

"It _is _the final project of the year," Kairi reminded her. "It counts as a test grade, so of course we have to put a ton of effort into it."

"I guess," Selphie said with a heavy sigh. She ran her fingers over a pretty yellow shirt and then said "Okay. But before I let you go home you have to help me pick out one cute dress and then we're going to get ice cream!"

Kairi agreed and was promptly dragged out of the store and back onto the street to help Selphie find the perfect dress.

* * *

Cloud stared dully down at his vanilla milkshake. His three friends were talking loudly about how he should give Reno a chance

"It would make him stop stalking you," Zack pointed out as he happily swiped a bite of Aerith's ice cream. The pretty brunette laughed and swiped a spoonful of his in retaliation.

"Oh, ignore the lovebirds, spiky," Yuffie said. "It doesn't matter if you agree to go out with him or not, he's still going to stalk you. He wouldn't be Reno if he didn't. But you'd be _sooo_ cute together!"

"It's weird enough with my brother dating his brother," Cloud said, glancing out the window restlessly. He sighed and looked back down at his frozen beverage. After spending some time with his so-called friends all he wanted to do was go home and curl up in a ball in the corner of his room.

Aerith pulled her ice cream out of Zack's reach so she could enjoy it without having to fend him off. "Do whatever you think is right, Cloud. Don't let these two pressure you into doing anything you don't want to do."

Zack tried to get another spoon of Aerith's ice cream only to have his hand smacked away. He pouted and went after the next closest ice cream--Yuffie's--which resulted in a spoon fight.

"Ha!" Yuffie shouted, smacking the back of Zack's hand with her utensil. Then she swiped a spoonful of his ice cream and moved her own out of his reach.

"No fair!" Zack whined.

Yuffie giggled. "Hey, _fair_. Get it? Like your--"

"--my last name. I know," Zack said with a roll of his eyes. "Can I at least have a bite of yours?"

"Nope!" Yuffie stuck her tongue out at him.

"But that's completely unfair!"

"You're right. Her ice cream _is _completely un_FAIR_. As in, it's not yours."

Zack turned his head to glare at the speaker, only to break out into a grin when he saw who it was. "Kairi! There's my favorite Sinclair ever! How's life?"

"Confusing," Kairi replied with a wry smile. "You guys know that Reno is currently hiding in the booth behind you, right?"

Cloud growled and stood up to drag Reno out of the booth.

"So why are you here? You're not going to steal my ice cream like everyone else has, are you?" Zack asked.

"Selphie dragged me here," Kairi said. "She's getting ice cream right now. Is that Cloud's?" She pointed to the neglected cup sitting at the edge of the table.

Zack nodded. "Yeah, it is. Hey, pass it over to me!" he said eagerly. "I still haven't gotten any of his!"

Aerith leaned over to Kairi and whispered "Zack's the reason they stopped giving out free samples. He'd come here on his breaks and try every single type of ice cream they sell."

Kairi laughed. That was _so _like Zack. She could just picture him wandering into the shop every day and asking for sample after sample before forgetting which one's he'd already tried and asking for "that one I haven't tried yet".

"What's so funny?" Yuffie asked, leaning forward in interest. "Come on, tell me!"

"It's nothing, Yuffie," Kairi said automatically.

A genuinely confused look came over Yuffie's face as she looked up at Kairi. Then she asked, "How do you know my name?"

Kairi froze, all signs of laughter sliding right off of her face. Her face went pale as she remembered the first and only time she had come across Yuffie was in her dream, not in reality.

"I-I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "I have to go. Tell Selphie to give my ice cream to Zack."

"Sweet!" Zack happily exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.

"Kairi," Aerith said, catching her arm before she could hurry away in a haze of disbelief. She peered up at the younger girl, her emotional eyes worried. "Is everything okay?"

Kairi lowered her head so her bangs were covering her eyes. "I don't know," she whispered before hurrying away.

Yuffie stared after her with one hand raised to her lips in thought, her chocolate brown eyes no longer as confused as they were before.

"Alright, which one of you broke my midget?" Reno asked, popping up over the back of the booth.

"I'm not sure," Aerith said, staring after Kairi's retreating form. "I hope she's okay."

"I wonder if it has something to do with all of the weird things that have been happening lately," Zack commented, for once being completely serious.

Everyone at the table blinked in surprise and looked at Zack. Cloud even rose up over the back of the booth beside Reno to give Zack a surprised look.

"What?" Zack asked. "Why's everyone looking at me? Is there something on my face?" He began wiping around his mouth to get rid of whatever he thought was there.

"No, it's just--" Cloud stopped himself short before he could say something hurtful that would send Zack off into a corner of the shop with a huge bowl of ice cream. "It's nothing. There's nothing there."

Zack raised an eyebrow. "Ooookay… Just so you know, I'm stealing your milkshake now. Hey, Yuffie, pass it to me!"

Cloud shoved Reno out of the booth, causing the redhead to smash his jaw into the tile floor with a yowl of pain. Then Cloud leapt over him so he could rescue his icy drink from Zack's sticky fingers. He slid back into the booth and pulled the milkshake even further away from Zack while ignoring Reno's moans of pain.

"I think I found Heart," Yuffie whispered over to him as he finally took a sip of his milkshake.

"Heart, huh?" Cloud quietly asked, casting a glance at Aerith and Zack, who were busy talking about something and weren't paying any attention to him and Yuffie. "Are you sure?"

Yuffie nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure."

* * *

'_This… this isn't right. I know I've never met Yuffie before, so how did she show up in my dream? And even if it isn't a dream and is really a different time-space like the other Tidus said, why is she suddenly showing up in both? And why are things so different? None of this makes any sense.'_

Kairi stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, her head still bowed. People diverged around her without problem. "Why… why is this happening?" she asked herself, blinking back tears.

"I've been wondering the same thing lately," a soft voice said nearby, piercing through Kairi's thoughts.

Kairi lifted her head to find Naminé standing in front of her looking as if she had seen better days. Her hair was curling out in a disorderly manner and her eyes lacked their usual sparkle.

"Naminé?" Kairi asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"I need to talk to you," Naminé whispered. "I need to talk to someone…"

Kairi knew she was in no shape to council anyone. She was having enough problems coping with everything happening to her lately. But at the same time, how could she ignore Naminé when she was asking for help? She had to do something, even it if was just sitting and listening to what she had to say.

"Okay," she said. "Let's find a place to sit first."

Naminé nodded and began walking over to a nearby wooden bench.

Kairi quickly followed after her and sat down beside her. Then she waited. And waited.

Soon the cool night air began to settle over them, sending chills down Kairi's spine. She rubbed her arms to try and coax some warmth back into the limbs, wishing she had thought to bring a light jacket along with her.

Naminé sat there, unaffected by the cold.

Kairi soon began to wonder if the blonde was ever going to say anything.

"Have you heard of the Mysterious Warrior?" Naminé asked at last.

Kairi nodded. "Yes. Of course." Not only had she heard about the warrior from Naminé the last evening she came across her on the street, but everyone at school was beginning to talk about her as well.

"I…" Naminé hesitated, having trouble finding the words to speak. She clenched her fists in her white dress and bowed her head, letting her hair fall forward. "I met her."

Kairi looked at her in surprise but said nothing.

"She saved me from this…this monster. I-it was my own fault. I wasn't paying any attention to what was going on. But then…she…" Naminé hesitated and reached up to rub at her eyes.

With a start, Kairi realized that the other girl was on the verge of crying. "Nami--"

"_She kissed me!" _Naminé blurted about before a choked sob escaped from her throat. She covered her face with her hands, bending down towards her knees.

"W-what? Have you told Olette?" Kairi asked.

Naminé shook her head miserably. "How could I?" she whispered, lifting her head slightly. "How could I tell her something like that? She- she'd hate me for it!"

Kairi's heart went out to the girl. She knew that Olette wouldn't be angry. It wasn't in her nature. But how could she convince Naminé of that?

"She's not going to hate you," she said, reaching out to lay her hand on Naminé's shoulder.

"How can you be so sure?" Naminé asked softly.

"Because this isn't your fault. Just talk to her about it and explain what happened. I know Olette won't be mad. And if she does get mad, then let me know and I'll go talk some sense into that thick head of hers," Kairi said, attempting to lighten the mood.

Naminé didn't smile. "Okay…I'll try."

"Good to hear." Kairi stood up and brushed off the seat of her pants. "Will you be okay walking home? I'll walk with you if you'd like."

Naminé shook her head as she also stood up. At last she lifted her head, a new resolved shining in her bright blue eyes.

"I'll be fine," she said. "I think I'm going to go talk to Olette. Kairi….thank you."

Kairi looked over in surprise and watched as Naminé began walking away down the street with her head held high. "Huh. Was what I said really that helpful?"

"_Gaaaay boyfriend! Gaaay boyfriend! Gaa--"_

Kairi quickly flipped open her cell phone with a grimace. _'Damn him and his stupid ring tones...'_

"Sora?" she asked as she put the device to her ear.

"_Hey, Kai! Listen, can I ride to school with you tomorrow? Roxas has a dentist appointment early in the morning and won't be going to school until late and Cloud's got some hot date tonight and won't be back 'til late so he won't be up in time to take me and I don't wanna go alone."_

Kairi took a moment to digest all of the information. Then her eyes lit up. "Sure, Sora. Just drop by in the morning and we can go to school together."

"_Great! See you then!" _-click-

Kairi flipped her phone shut, feeling happier than she had for days. At last things were beginning to look up.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

So, yeah... I'm not sure what to say. Did anyone notice that it's been edited?

**Next Time: **Dream 5 - Wednesday, November 23

The new girl starts school and is in Kairi's class. Roxas and Sora are reunited at last. Kairi gets a better look at the Mysterious White Figure.


	10. Dream 5

In the last Dream chapter: _Dream 4 - Monday, November 21_ - Axel drags Kairi to school early and she finds Selphie in the library, but her old friend is less than happy to see her. Kairi invites Selphie to join her for lunch and then leaves to try and find Tidus or Naminé. Later at lunch, Sora arrives to bum some food off of them and talk. Later, Kairi bumps into a girl named Yuffie who's standing at a bus stop with a friend wearing a baseball cap. Then Selphie is attacked by a monster and Sailor Heart goes to her rescue, only to fail. Selphie transforms into Sailor Passion and beats the monster. They adjourn to Naminé's house.

* * *

**For Love**

_Dream 5: Wednesday, November 23_

Despite knowing that she was back in what she called the Dream World, Kairi woke up feeling as if it was going to be a great day. Sora wasn't curled up half asleep on her bed or watching her from the window. Neither of her brothers was banging down her door in an attempt to wake her up. Nor was she waking up in Naminé's bed. Again.

Kairi quickly dressed for school before skipping down to breakfast. She wasn't going to let _anything _break her stride that day.

As she hopped down the last of the steps, the house phone went off with it's usual irritating tone. She quickly picked it up and set it against her ear. "Yo," she greeted.

"_I've got big news! No, __**huge **__news! I can't believe I didn't hear about this earlier!"_

Kairi held the phone away from her ear. "What's this 'big news'?"

"_The new student is going to be in __**your **__class! And it's a girl! According to my source, she got kicked out of a private school in Gaia for fighting! I was thinking that she might be Sailor Strength. I mean, that makes sense, right?"_

"It makes a little sense," Kairi agreed. "But we can't just assume that. We could be way off mark."

"_Okay. We can talk about it at school. Later!" -click-_

Kairi set the phone down with a sigh. Selphie was _so _exhausting in the Dream World. She was bad enough in the Real World!

"Mornin'," she greeted her family as she walked into the kitchen. She walked past Axel on her way to the refrigerator and stole his piece of toast.

"Hey!"

Kairi stuck her tongue out at him and then took a big bite of it.

Axel narrowed his eyes and poised his fork to flick scrambled eggs at her.

"Axel, don't flick things at your sister," Mr. Sinclair spoke up over his newspaper.

"But that's not fair! She stole my toast first!" Axel exclaimed.

"There's plenty of toast left, sweetie," Mrs. Sinclair said, sliding over the plate.

Axel glared at Kairi, who smiled back sweetly before opening the refrigerator to retrieve her orange juice. When she closed it and looked back at the table she saw Reno and Axel fighting over the last remaining piece of bread. Shaking her head, she got a glass for the juice and walked over to the table and sat down.

When Axel and Reno continued to fight over the bread, she sighed and grabbed the toast for herself.

"Hey!" the two boys protested.

"Neither of you were going to claim it for yourself any time soon," Kairi said, smugly spreading jam across the toast.

"But I didn't even get one piece!"

"Go make your own, yo. We've got a toaster," Reno said.

"You've got five pieces!"

"And I'm gonna eat 'em all."

"You don't need that many! Give me one!"

"Get your own!"

"No!"

Kairi calmly lifted her glass off the table as Axel lunged for Reno's plate. Some things would never change in the Sinclair household.

* * *

"Kairi! Kairi, over here!"

Kairi easily spotted Selphie standing under a tree called the "twig", along with the rest of what had become the usual crowd. There was Naminé and Tidus, quietly talking to each other. Then there was Sora, who was talking to Selphie's two friends Zell and Irvine. Selphie was glaring at her and tapping her foot.

Kairi sighed and walked over to them, dreading what Selphie had to say.

"What took you so long? Tidus said you left at the same time he did!" Selphie whined.

Kairi set her bag on the ground near Sora. "Axel had to stop for gas. Why? Did I miss something?"

"No, but what if you had? What then?!"

"Then we'd fill her in," Naminé spoke up. "Calm down, Selphie. We still have plenty of time to talk. And we have lunch as well."

Selphie huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Look, if you want to blame someone, blame Axel," Kairi said. "I have no control over him or his car."

"Hey, is that the new girl?" Irvine asked.

Selphie gasped and looked around eagerly. At last something interesting was happening!

Kairi turned around to look as well. Even if the new girl wasn't another warrior, it would still be a good idea to know what she looked like.

It didn't take her long to find her.

She was a pretty little thing with wheat blonde hair much like Naminé's. It was long in the front, falling over her ears and almost to the top of her shoulders. The back was cut short, much like Kairi's.

For a brief moment Kairi could swear she saw a small, golden furred cat walking alongside of the girl. When she blinked, it was gone.

"Selphie, did you see that?" she whispered.

"See what?" Selphie asked.

Kairi shook her head. "It's nothing. Never mind. It was probably just a trick of the light." _'It had to be.'_

The homeroom bell rang, interrupting whatever Selphie had to say in response to that.

"We'll talk more later!" the brunette girl yelled as Irvine and Zell dragged her away to homeroom.

'_Saved by the bell,' _Kairi couldn't help but think.

* * *

She was very reserved, Kairi observed. She didn't talk unless it was to answer a question. Even then she gave the shortest, most precise answer possible before sitting back down and continuing to stare straight ahead at the board.

'_I wonder if she went to Gaia's military school.'_

"So what's with Selphie's interest in the new girl?" Tidus quietly asked during one of the class changes. "Does she know her or something?"

Kairi shook her head. "She thinks she's someone important. Someone who might end up joining our group. I don't really know what she's thinking."

'_Liar,' _a part of her brain whispered.

"Oh." Tidus was silent for a moment. "So do you know her in your world?"

"No. This is the first time I've ever seen her," Kairi replied.

"So she's kind of like Zell, huh? I still think it's weird that you don't know him in your world." Tidus remarked. "I've been in the same school as him since elementary."

"And apparently he's been friends with Selphie and Irvine since forever." Kairi frowned. "I just don't get it. Thing's are so different here. I can't keep up with who I meet here and who I meet in my world." She sighed and dropped her head into her hands. "What am I going to do?"

"If you want, we can talk later," Tidus said as the teacher walked into the room. "I'll go over to your place after school. You have cheerleading today, by the way."

Kairi nodded her thanks. "Alright. We should be able to talk then."

Nothing more was said as the teacher called the class to attention and began the lesson.

* * *

Kairi groaned as she flopped down onto the bench outside of the gym. "Ugg. I'm seriously considering dropping cheerleading. It's so ridiculous."

Tidus bookmarked his page and put his book away. "If you really want to, then do it. We could really use you on the Science Squad!"

"Science or Sci-fi?" Kairi questioned knowingly.

Tidus had the decency to blush and look away.

"I'll think about it," Kairi promised. "So, shall we go? I just know that my mom has yummy snacks waiting for me. That's if my brothers and Demyx haven't eaten them all."

Tidus laughed. "They'll have plenty of time to do just that today. My mom's car is in the shop today so we have to walk home."

Kairi groaned. "Are you serious? It's times like these when I miss having a cell phone. Then all I'd have to do is call Axel for a ride! That'd solve two of my problems."

"Look at the bright side, we'll have plenty of time to talk," Tidus said helpfully. "And it's a nice day. We can stop for ice cream too. I know a nice little stand on the way home."

Kairi sighed as she got up from the bench. "I really don't mind the walk. It's just been a really long day. Selphie insisted on dragging me and Naminé around during lunch to spy on the new girl. I didn't get to eat anything."

Tidus got up and slung the strap of his bag over his shoulder. "So that's what you guys were doing! I was wondering where you were!"

The two walked down the hall until they came to the double doors that led outside. Tidus opened one of them and let Kairi walk through first.

"She's really set on getting to know that new girl, huh? I don't see what's so special about her. She seems so… cold," said Tidus.

"It's a strange new place to her. She'll adjust."

"I guess… so, you were talking about having a hard time remembering who you know in each time-space, right?"

"Oh… Yeah." Kairi sighed and dropped her eyes to the ground. She really didn't want to have this conversation. "Things are starting to get all jumbled up. I'm meeting people in my world who I've already met over here. Like yest-- er, today in my world I went shopping with Selphie. I ran into this one girl who I've only met and talked to here and used her name and everything." She groaned and covered her face with her hands. She was so lucky that Selphie hadn't been right there to chase after her and squeeze the truth out of her. "I got so scared that I practically ran all the way back home. Then I bumped into Naminé and she's having all of these problems with Olette and this Mysterious Warrior kissing her and I _still _don't see how talking to me helped her and--"

"Wait," Tidus interrupted. "There's a Mysterious Warrior in your world too? You didn't mention this before. When did that happen?"

"Right after my first time here…"

Tidus frowned. "Well that's weird…. I wonder…"

Kairi looked over at him curiously. "Wonder what?

"What if…" Tidus hesitated a moment.

Kairi got the feeling that whatever he was about to say, she wasn't going to like it.

"What if you traveling between the time-spaces is directly affecting the balance between them and causing a discrepancy in the normal activity? The worlds would then try to correct the balance. They'd start borrowing from each other until they're more and more similar; more balanced out. But in the meantime it's breaking the bonds keeping them separate and eventually those will shatter. The aftereffects of that… I don't even want to imagine."

Kairi looked at him in confusion.

Tidus sighed. "Think of it as having two soundproofed rooms connected to each other. So long as the door is closed, anyone in one room has no idea what's going on in the other. They're completely separate. By opening the door, you open the connection between them. Then you can see what's going on in both rooms. And eventually people migrate between them. The rooms join and become part of one space."

"So… how do I close the door?" Kairi asked.

"I dunno," Tidus said with a shrug. "You'll have to figure that one out on your own, I guess."

"Great…" muttered Kairi.

Tidus reached over to rest a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it won't be so bad. I know you can do this!"

Kairi didn't look so certain. "I hope so… Hey, let's cut through the park. It'll cut down on how long it takes to get home." She gestured to the darkened path leading through the leafless trees.

Tidus looked at the path apprehensively. Something about walking down a path surrounded by naked trees didn't sound very appealing to him. "The park? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Why? Is there something wrong?" Kairi asked.

"Well it's just… Look, a lot of people have been attacked there lately. And I've heard of all sorts of strange creatures in there. Even if we are saved by cute girls in mini skirts, I still don't want to be attacked."

"You have just as much of a chance of being attacked in town as in the park. You comin'?"

"Y-yeah!"

The two began their silent walk into the park. Tidus glanced around nervously at every little noise that was made, looking apprehensively at the creepy, bare trees. Kairi kept her senses on high alert for any monsters. Even if it meant Tidus finding out that she was Sailor Heart, she wasn't about to let anything get away with assaulting them.

"I really don't like this," Tidus whispered.

"You worry too much," Kairi responded. So far, so good. If nothing had gone after them so far, then it was unlikely that they would be. She hoped that Naminé and Selphie were having better luck with their patrols.

The two turned around a group of tall evergreens and came across the frightening scene of the new girl pinned against a tree by a scaly, green lizard-like creature.

"_Hide!" _Kairi hissed, shoving Tidus into the bushes.

"What about you?!" Tidus yelped in fear.

Kairi gave him a melancholic smile. "I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me." She carefully fished her necklace out from under her uniform and clutched at the charm. _"Heart," _she whispered.

Tidus was forced to shield his eyes from the powering pink light radiating from Kairi's body. When he could finally look again, he saw a pink-suited warrior in her place. His jaw dropped. "Kairi, you're--"

"I'll explain later," Sailor Heart said. "Just don't move until that thing is gone."

Before Tidus could say anything else, she dashed off towards the monster, twirling strands of pink energy around her arms.

"_Heart Ribbon! Ethereal Eclipse!"_

The monster dodged most of the attack and easily sliced through the ribbons that managed to curl around its limbs. It dropped the new girl to the ground, seeing Sailor Heart as a bigger threat.

Sailor Heart leapt into the air to avoid a strike from the creature's tail and was able to deliver a harsh kick to the monster's head before it grabbed her ankle and swung her into the ground. Before she could get up to get away, one of its clawed feet pressed down on her chest, crushing her into the ground.

The pink-suited warrior gurgled as her rib cage closed in on her legs, making it difficult to breathe. Already stars were dancing before her eyes and the edges of her vision were beginning to fade to black.

"Hey creep!"

A shoe flew from the right and knocked the creature on the head. It abandoned its quest of crushing Sailor Heart into the ground in order to go after its new adversary.

Sailor Heart rolled over and coughed before filling her lungs with much-needed oxygen. She blinked to clear her head of the cloudiness it was feeling and then looked up to see who came to her rescue.

There stood the new girl with one hand raised to the sky. Sparks flew around her, lighting up her hair; her skin; her clothes. At last a bolt of lightning struck down at her hand and made her whole body glow with a fiery green light.

"_You chose the wrong girl to mess with," _she said eerily, taking a step forward.

A golden-furred cat jumped down from a tree and landed beside her. "Take it easy, Strength. You still haven't recovered from last time," he said.

'_I know that voice.' _Sailor Heart struggled to her feet. She reached up and tapped the pink jewel in the middle of her forehead, drawing on her extra power. Pink energy blazed to life around her finger before growing to encompass her entire hand. _"Heavenly Strike!"_

"_Strong Thunder! Slashing Storm!"_

The two attacks collided, sending the creature reeling back in pain. Parts of it began to fizzle away into dust, but it wasn't enough to keep it from being unable to continue fighting.

"Damn it!" the other soldier cursed. "Hey girl, do you have any energy left?"

Sailor Heart concentrated on her energy, but was only able to call enough of it to make her hand glow faintly.

"Shit," the girl cursed again, stepping out of the shadows with the cat by her side.

Her sailor suit was in the same style as the others. She wore a white leotard with a green sailor collar attached. Her pleated skirt, combat boots, choker, the bands on her gloves, and the jewel on her silver circlet were all also green. Her brooch was mostly green, but lines of yellow could be seen zigzagging around in it. Both of her bows were cotton candy pink.

Her hair, which had been short before, was long enough to be pulled up into a ponytail.

"I can send up a signal for the others to see," the cat spoke up. "You'll just have to hold off the monster until they can get here."

"Others?" Sailor Heart asked.

The green-suited warrior cast a harsh glance in her direction. "The other warrior's you've found."

Sailor Heart's attention was diverted as the cat began to morph before her eyes. Its fur melted away to be replaced by clothes as its limbs elongated, while the spiky fur on its head grew longer and slightly more spiky. Two cat ears were left alone on top of his head, though they were mostly hidden by his hair. A blond tail swung behind him.

He held both hands up to the sky with his palms facing up and shouted: _"Flare!" _Light gathered in his hands before shooting straight up into the sky.

"_Move!" _

Sailor Heart was suddenly tackled to the ground by a white form as the lizard-monster regained its bearings and swung its tail in her direction. Her eyes zeroed in on the new soldier standing on the other side of the monster, shooting off lightning bolts. Slowly she turned her head around to see the white-suited person she had last seen when Naminé gained her powers.

"Are you alright?" the person asked.

Sailor Heart slowly nodded. "Y-yeah. But who are you?"

The person smiled, his brown eyes sparkling mischievously behind his white mask. "That's a secret," he told her, tapping her nose with a wink.

He got back up on his feet and held out a hand to help her up. Then he swept off his hat with a bow, revealing his short black hair. "I suppose you can call me your white knight in shining armor, even though I don't actually wear armor," he told her. Then he stood up straight and put his hat back on his head. "See you around, cute girl." He turned around and ran off into the trees where he met up with a spiky-haired figure.

'_What… what the hell just happened? Why does he remind me of that Yuffie girl?'_

"_Peaceful Waters! Glacial Surge!"_

"_Passionate Flames! Burning Embers!"_

Sailor Heart turned around in time to see her friends drop in from the trees and destroy the creature. However, before it finally fizzled away, its tail whipped out and caught her right in the side of her head.

She heard her friends calling her name as her vision went black.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Wow, Sailor Heart sure gets beat up a lot, huh? I really didn't mean for it to happen quite so often. It's just kind of convenient.

So, who completely forgot about the white figure that Kairi saw when Naminé discovered her powers? And I assure you, this "white knight" is not some OC I made up. I'm determined to completely avoid using any OC's. There are more than enough Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts/Disney characters that I can use.

And whoops! I really did mean to reveal the name of Sailor Strength, but it didn't really happen. And originally Tidus wasn't supposed to learn that Kairi is Sailor Heart. Guess I have to edit my plans for the next Dream chapter. Oh well. It's not a huge big deal. And it makes things more interesting!

**Next time**: Reality 6 - Thursday, March 26

Kairi finally gets to talk to Sora about what's been going on around town and her strange dreams. What he tells her is not quite what she expected, or wanted, to hear.


	11. Reality 6

**For Love**

_Reality 6 - Thursday, March 26_

"Kairi!"

The red-haired girl awoke to find Sora hovering worriedly over her face, his blue eyes wide.

"Are you okay? Your body temperature plummeted for a second and you went all pale!"

Kairi sat up, rubbing the side of her head gingerly. "'m fine. Though I'm sure it has somethin' to do with what I need to talk to ya about."

Sora sat back and pulled his legs up onto the bed. "Talk away. I got here a bit early anyway. So what's up?"

Kairi dropped her hand from her head to curl her fingers in her soft blankets. "I don't really know where to start…"

"The beginning is usually good."

Kairi frowned at the teasing. The way the conversation was beginning sounded slightly familiar. Hadn't she said something like that to Dream-Sora? "About a week ago I started having this dream. I woke up and I was fourteen again, but it was a different me. A really different me."

"How?" Sora asked.

"You weren't there," Kairi whispered, lowering her head. "And Axel didn't know who Roxas is. Tidus was the only one I knew at school and I didn't even hang out with him. I was friends with Yuna and on the cheerleading squad, but that's not even the weirdest part!"

Sora stayed silent.

Kairi looked up to watch Sora's reaction to her next few words. "When I finally met you, you were a cat."

Sora flinched. "A-a cat? But that's just silly, Kairi. I'm not a cat!" He laughed, but it sounded false even to Kairi.

"Olette is the Mysterious Warrior, isn't she."

Sora abruptly stopped laugh, all traces of humor gone. "Was that in your dreams?"

Kairi shook her head only to wince at the pain that split across the side of her skull. "No, I just met Strength before you woke me up."

Sora let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He got up and began pacing back and forth, trying to think of what to do about the situation.

"It's way too early for this. What the hell is going on? I _knew_ it wasn't a good idea to send Olette to Twilight Town. _Arrrg!_ I can't _believe _this is happening!" he quietly ranted. His grumbling grew silent before he turned to face Kairi. "What did the Dream-me tell you, exactly? About your past as Heart Soldier."

Kairi thought back to when they had to explain things to Selphie. "Back when Hollow Bastion was still Radiant Garden, I was the warrior from there. I think I was the leader. We were there to protect the kingdom from outside invaders and protect the royal family, particularly the heir to the throne. The other you couldn't remember if the heir was a boy or a girl."

"He was a prince," Sora informed her. "Prince Ienzo of Radiant Garden. And he was a Soldier, just like you and the others."

"Prince Ienzo," Kairi repeated, storing away the information for later. "So is it the same here? Am I supposed to find him and protect him from these Dark Ones?"

"No."

"No?" Kairi asked in surprise, looking up at last.

"He'll find us eventually. And then he'll fight alongside of you and the others to continue to protect our system of planets," Sora explained. "Man, Roxas is going to _kill_ me for letting this to happen. I can't believe I haven't noticed how tired you've been lately. Some Guardian I am."

"How could you have known if I didn't say anything? Though it wasn't for lack of trying." Kairi sighed. "I never realized how often Roxas drags you and Riku off to talk until this week."

Sora stopped pacing and sat back down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah, I know. We've had a lot of trouble lately. Olette's having a hard time fighting the Dark Ones and Heartless on her own. Maybe that's why you've been having dreams. Your subconscious was trying to prepare you to fight. Hey, does your transformation item travel with you?"

Kairi reached up to feel the delicate chain resting comfortably at her neck. "Yeah. I hadn't even noticed before."

Sora nodded. "I thought so. It's directly tied to you, so even if you accidentally leave it somewhere you can summon it back to you without a thought. It's created from your energy. It's the same way with Olette's ribbon. But back to your dream real quick, who are the other Soldier's you've found so far?"

"Naminé is Sailor Peace, Se--"

"Soldier," Sora interrupted. "She's Peace Soldier, just like you're Heart Soldier. It's the same for the others too."

"Naminé is Peace Soldier," Kairi corrected herself. "Selphie is Passion Soldier. I never got the name of Sai--er, Strength Soldier. Tidus or someone was always trying to talk to me whenever her name was said. I'd recognize her if I saw her, though. She kind of reminds me of a sterner Naminé only with brown eyes instead of blue."

Sora grinned. "That sounds like Strength. Don't worry, she'll lighten up eventually." He got up from the bed and stretched. "We should get going soon. Olette will want to talk to you for a bit. And I need to call Riku."

Kairi paused in the middle of wiggling out of her blankets. "Riku? Riku knows?"

"Of course he does. He _is _a Guardian. Olette's primarily," Sora said.

"So, wait, if you and Roxas are Guardians, and Riku is too, then what about Cloud?"

"He's a Guardian too. He works with the knights. Right now the White Rose Knight is the only one who has awakened."

Images of the white knight running towards a spiky haired figure played through her mind. If Sora knew about the knight, maybe he could explain why he felt so familiar to her.

"I'll be waiting downstairs and stealing food from your brothers. Or at least from Reno," Sora said. "We'll talk more about this on our way to school." He left the room without another word.

Kairi fell back onto her pillow, a thousand thoughts buzzing and bouncing around in her brain. Could Tidus be right? Were the two worlds starting to merge? Or was Sora the one who was right? Was the dream just her subconscious preparing her to fight? Would it stop now that she had talked to Sora?

"_Ugg…_ Why does this have to be so complicated?" she asked herself.

* * *

At school, Sora dragged Olette and Kairi away from the others so they could have a quick talk about what to do. Miraculously, Selphie didn't try to follow them to listen in on the conversation. She was busy chewing out Tidus for whatever it was he had done.

Olette hugged Kairi the moment they were by themselves. "Welcome back, Heart."

"Thanks?" Kairi replied in confusion, tentatively hugging the brunette back.

"She doesn't remember the past yet, Olette. All she knows is what I have told her," Sora explained.

"Oh." Olette stepped back, disappointed. "But you said she knows who the other Soldiers are."

"I've been having dreams about fighting as Heart Soldier lately," Kairi said. She began to explain the dreams in greater detail, telling how split up the group was and how weird it was to not hear Axel go on about how great Roxas was.

Sora and Olette listened without saying a word. They didn't even move when the homeroom bell finally rang.

"And that's about it," Kairi finished. "I got knocked across the head in my dream last night and woke up with a splitting pain in my skull to find Sora kneeling over me."

"Seriously?" Sora asked in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could have healed that before we left your house!" He leaned forward and laid his hand on her head. He murmured something under his breath before a ring of green light circled around her head and washed away the aching pain.

Kairi thanked him and then looked to Olette as she started to speak.

"I wonder if that's how things really would have gone if Sora, Roxas, and Cloud got separated a long time ago," she mused. "It sounds so unrealistic."

Kairi shook her head. "Not really. Sora _was _the friendly one who insisted on making all of his friends meet each other. If it weren't for him most of us wouldn't know each other."

"_Guys! Guys!"_

Selphie leapt out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around Kairi's neck. "We _really _need to get to homeroom. Miss Heartilly is super nice and all, but she'll be super mad if we're late again. So, c'mon!"

The energetic brunette proceeded to drag Kairi away, leaving Sora to follow after them.

Olette laughed and left for her own homeroom.

* * *

Kairi returned home after talking to Sora, Roxas, and Olette at the Strife house for an hour after school. She was still amazed by all of the good questions that Roxas managed to ask in the short period of time. She was glad that he did though, since it helped her better understand everything that was happening.

With a heavy sigh she dropped on her bed. No matter where she was, she just couldn't catch a break.

"Hey, uh, Kairi?"

Kairi turned her head and sighed. "Hey, Demyx."

"Can we go for a walk? I need to talk to you about something."

The redhead pushed herself up to look at her friend. Something about the inflection of his voice and the expression on his face seemed off. She agreed and got up to walk with him.

Demyx led her out of the house and down the street. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans and his head was bowed. He didn't say a word even as he led her out of the neighborhood and onto the streets of Destiny Island.

Kairi walked quietly beside him, waiting for him to start talking. _'Why is it that whenever there's something serious to talk about it takes __**forever**__ for anyone to talk? And why is everyone coming to me with their problems lately?'_

"It's a nice evening, huh? The sun's really starting to stay out longer. It won't be too long before it's too hot to enjoy walks like this," she remarked, unable to take the silence any longer.

Demyx looked over at her, startled. "O-oh yeah. It is nice out. I'll be able to sit on my roof and play my sitar soon. Good thing my crabby neighbor finally moved. The kids next door actually enjoy my playing! It's great!"

Kairi smiled as Demyx began talking about a new sitar he wanted to get to see how different it would feel from his old one. _That_ was much more like the Demyx she knew.

All too soon, Demyx fell silent again. Thankfully it wasn't for very long.

"Zexion's been acting weird lately."

Kairi blinked and looked over at him, her violet eyes curious. "What do you mean?"

Demyx sighed and scuffed his shoe along the gravel road to kick a rock. "Everything was going fine. I'd hang out with him between classes. Sometimes we'd talk and other times he'd help me with some homework. Other times I'd try not to talk while he was reading or working on an assignment. Hell, I even _asked _him if I was bugging him and he told me I wasn't! But two days ago he started to avoid me. I brushed it off, y'know? I figured he was just busy that day. But then he started hurrying away whenever I tried to catch up to talk to him. So I talked to Axel and Riku about it and they both said they hadn't noticed anything too weird, although Zexion doesn't talk to Riku as much in Chemistry and he's moved all the way across the room from Axel in the class they share. He said it was probably because he almost lit him on fire last week. What am I going to do?"

Kairi thought for a moment, trying to come up with something that might work. "Have you tried waiting outside of his classroom?"

Demyx nodded miserably. "He always manages to slip away from me."

The redhead mentally filed that bit of information away. The next chance she got, she was going to try to ask him how he managed to do that. It was near impossible to escape when Demyx was on your tail.

"Have you tried calling him?"

"Yeah… he never answers…"

Kairi frowned. "Does anyone know where he lives?"

"No. Not even Riku knows."

'_Geez, talk about hard to get a hold of,'_ Kairi thought. "You said he's only been acting like this for a few days, right? Just keep trying to chase him down and talk to him. Eventually he's bound to talk to you again, even if it's just to yell and say to stop following you. And maybe he really is just super buy like you said before."

Demyx stopped walking and turned to look at her, his blue-green eyes wide in surprise. "You really think so?"

Kairi nodded and was immediately swept up into a bone crushing hug.

"Thank you," Demyx whispered.

Kairi sighed in relief and wrapped her arms around Demyx, hugging him back. A happy Demyx was always a good thing.

* * *

Kairi walked home from Demyx's house after being treated to ice cream. Her senses were on high alert. If things were even remotely similar to her Dream World, then there was a very strong chance that she would have to fight something on her way home.

Her hand drifted up to the necklace hanging around her neck. The small heart-shaped charm hummed in response and warmed beneath her fingertips, sending pleasant tingles up and down her arm. She pulled her hand away in surprise and looked down at it.

"What--?"

A scream of terror pierced the air and Kairi forgot all about her surprise at her necklace. She took off running in the direction of the scream without another thought. As she ran, her school uniform melted away and was replaced with a brand new outfit.

The second she laid eyes on the monster, she spun her ribbon-like energy around her hand and shot it off towards the monster. _"Heavenly Ribbon!"_

The monster groaned soundlessly and reeled back. However, it quickly regained its balance and stood up to attack, only to get slammed in the side of the head by a yellow beam of light.

An orange clothed figure leapt down from a tree and landed beside Heart Soldier. "Nice shot," she complimented. "But be careful. That's a Darkside--one of the toughest breeds of Heartless if you don't know what you're doing. Thankfully it doesn't appear too often. Just watch out when it slams its hand into the ground. It can summon low-level Heartless doing that."

Heart Soldier nodded. "Okay. But where's the girl it was attacking?"

The Mysterious Warrior--finally identified as Love soldier-- looked around in concern. "I don't know. I don't see anyone. Go look for her while I keep giganto busy."

Heart Soldier agreed and began to make a full circle around the Darkside while Love Soldier took it head on.

She narrowed her green eyes behind her mask and drew her energy to her fists before releasing it straight into the sky. _"Graceful Cascade!"_

Light rained down from the sky like a thousand shooting stars, crashing down onto the Darkside. The bulky Heartless stumbled before crashing down to the ground, stunned. Love Soldier dashed forward with her fists glowing orange and slammed the power straight into its skull. The large Heartless gave one final groan and faded away, releasing a heart into the sky.

Love Soldier stood back and watched it for a moment before reaching up to her orange hair ribbon and pulling it away with a sigh. Her Soldier uniform faded away and was replaced by her usual flowery orange tank top and beige Capri's.

Olette shoved the ribbon into her pocket and looked around for Heart Soldier. She quickly spotted her walking away from a small group of trees.

"Did you find anyone?" Olette asked.

Heart Soldier shook her head. "No one's here. Maybe I just imagined the scream."

"Maybe," Olette replied. "So, are you going to change back to normal of not?"

"I will. But I have one question first."

"What is it?"

"Why is the uniform different here? It wasn't like this in my dream."

"What was it like?"

"Well…" Heart Soldier hesitated a moment, unsure if she should tell her friend. "…you remember when we used to watch Sailor Moon?"

Olette burst out laughing. "Okay. _This _I have to hear."

Heart Soldier tugged down the chain around her neck, releasing her transformed state. Then she tucked her necklace under her shirt and began walking with Olette, telling her about the difference in uniforms.

Behind a different clump of trees, Naminé stood with her head bowed.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Dun dun dunnnnn!

**Quick question**, should I change the Soldier uniforms so that they're different from the ones in the Dream? I kind of want to base it more off of the Destiny Island school uniforms, with ties and collared shirts instead of the usual sailor fuku's.

**Next time: **Dream 6 - Thursday, November 24

Kairi wakes up at Namine's again and promptly gets dragged to school. Along the way she smacks right into Yuffie, who starts up some playful banter. Sora and Riku are finally truly reunited and begin the hunt for Cloud together. Later, Sailor Love comes to the rescue.


	12. Dream 6

**For Love**

_Dream 6 - Thursday, November 24_

Kairi yawned as she walked to school with Naminé. After waking up early in order to get over to her house to retrieve her schoolbag, the last thing she wanted to do was walk even more. If only they hadn't gotten to the Sinclair house too late to get a ride from Axel.

"This sucks," Kairi muttered.

Naminé looked at her friend curiously. "What do you mean? We're finding other fighters a lot faster than Sora thought we would. The only one left to find is Sailor Love and then we can focus on finding the heir."

"Prince Ienzo."

"What?"

"His name is Prince Ienzo," Kairi said. "I just… suddenly remembered."

Naminé hummed thoughtfully and returned her eyes to the sidewalk ahead. "We should tell Sora when we get to school. He'll already be excited about Roxas being there, so this news will make him even more happy. I'd hate to be you today."

Kairi laughed. "You get used to it after a while. I just hope I can get through today without Tidus ambushing me. Or any of us for that matter. Though I'm sure Selphie would be more than happy to tell him anything he wants to know."

"We explained some things him yesterday, so he should be able to contain himself until our meeting later."

Kairi nodded. The meeting was one of the first things that Naminé brought up that morning. Apparently it had been decided during the time she was unconscious.

Kairi was suddenly bumped from behind. The abrupt action sent her stumbling forward a few steps before she regained her balance. She turned around, ready to berate whoever it was only to freeze in her steps when she saw a familiar raven-haired girl standing there.

Brown eyes widened in recognition and a smile spread across a tanned face. "Hey there, cutie. Didn't expect to see you here."

Kairi gritted her teeth, all surprise lost at the remark. "Stop calling me that!"

"But it's true," Yuffie said with a wink. "You're extremely cute." She gently lifted Kairi's hand to her lips and kissed the back of it. "See you around, my cute redhead."

Kairi flushed as she watched the girl jog away. Beside her, Naminé looked on with a hint of a smile on her face.

* * *

"For serous?" Selphie exclaimed later that day. "No way! And she totally kissed your hand? Just like that? _Lucky. _You've got more of a love life than all of us combined!"

Kairi groaned and flopped back onto the cold grass. "Do you _have _to focus on that? There are more serious things we need to talk about."

"But this is so juicy and fun," Selphie whined.

"Kairi is right," spoke up the new blonde-haired girl. "We need to talk while we have the time. You can gossip later."

Roxas pried his arm free of his brother's grip and scooted a few inches away. "We're having a formal meeting later, Elena. Though there are a few things we can talk about right now. Like finding Sailor Love and our prince."

"Prince?" Sora asked in confusion. "Wait, how do you remember and I don't? We're twins! We're supposed to remember stuff together!"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "One of us needs to remember things. I bet you don't even know what Cloud has been doing this whole time."

Sora looked hurt, his entire expression falling. "But I haven't seen him in years! How am I supposed to know what he's been doing this whole time?"

Roxas sighed and reached over to pick up his hand. "_Think_, Sora. Think back to Radiant Garden. I know you remember being the Guardian of Heart, Peace, and Passion while I mainly worked with Strength and the Prince. Do you remember who Riku was the Guardian of?"

"Yeah. Of course," Sora said with a nod. "He was the Guardian of Sailor Love. And we worked with a few of the pouter ring fighters. Like Storm and Floral."

"Now think about Cloud. Who did he end up as the Guardian of?"

Sora's brow furrowed in thought. "Umm…"

"It wasn't a Protector," Roxas hinted.

"So that would be…" Sora's eyes went wide as he finally remembered. "The Knight's! He helps them! White Rose and Fire Cross and Dan--"

"You don't have to list them all," Roxas interrupted. "We don't even know if all of them were reincarnated."

"There's more than one?" Kairi asked. "I thought there was only the white knight."

"Her title is the White Rose Knight," Elena informed her. "It's not surprising that you remember her, given the nature of your relationship."

Selphie's eyes lit up. "Oooo, so this Yuffie girl isn't the only one after your affections. It's a love triangle! How exciting!"

"I am _not _a lesbian, damn it!" Kairi exclaimed, slamming her fist into the ground.

Selphie giggled. "I never said you were. I just think it's interesting how there are two girls chasing after you. Not to mention Naminé said you _totally _blushed when Yuffie kissed your hand!"

Kairi narrowed her eyes at the petite blonde, who shrank back sheepishly.

"I'm sorry! She got it out of me!" Naminé said.

"Focus!" Roxas suddenly yelled. "We don't have tome to debate this! We need to set up places to patrol. It would be best if you each watch the areas where you live. Sora and I can keep an eye out while we look for Cloud and Riku."

Sora looked excited. "We're going to look for them? Really?"

"It's time to regroup," Roxas said seriously.

A shiver ran down Kairi's spine just before the ground began to shudder. Kairi looked around in surprise while the others continued to talk, sounding as if they were underwater. Suddenly the world shattered around her. She plunged down into the darkness, landing on a plane of stained glass.

She sat still for a moment. What was the strange place she landed in?

"What is this?" She whispered, afraid to speak too loudly.

The glass panels beneath her lip up. Kairi jumped to her feet, startled. She slowly backed up until she cam e to the edge of the plane before she realized nothing bad was happening.

"Now what?" she wondered out loud.

A pathway of stained glass lit up to her left as a second platform came into view.

Kairi frowned and startled up the path, hoping that the way out was somewhere nearby. Halfway up, she glanced back down at the first platform. Her eyes went wide when she noticed the image the panels created.

"That's… me…" she breathed in disbelief.

The image was of her asleep, her knees drawn up to her chest and her hair floating as if underwater. The glass all around her was black, with flecks of white shards representing what she assumed to be stars.

She tore her eyes away from the image and looked ahead to the next platform. She continued her walk up the path.

At the top she encountered a barrier.

"Oh, come on!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the empty space. "Is there some stupid trial I have to go through or what? _Ugg, _this is just like that stupid video game Axel likes to play."

She turned around to check if there was something she didn't see before. There, crawling up the path towards her, was a small group of black, shadow-like creatures.

"Oh. Of course," Kairi deadpanned. She grumbled as she activated her necklace, letting the energy flow over her body to transform her clothing the Soldier uniform of her reality.

Her blue plaid skirt turned to pink as a strip of white appeared along the bottom. A white belt wrapped around her waist, accentuated by a pink heart buckle. Her shirt shortened to just above her belly button and also turned pink as her tie faded away to white. A pink heart clasp sparkled into place a second later. Pink gloves enveloped her hands. Her shoes changed to pink and white sneakers with black shoestrings. Finally, her hair split itself in half to wrap into two buns on either side of her head, leaving the bangs free to cover the chain encircling her forehead.

"_Heavenly Ribbon!"_

The familiar ribbon of light burst forth from her hands and destroyed the creatures in an instant.

The shield vanished.

Heart Soldier looked around for more Heartless before turning around and walking up onto the next platform. That time she paid attention to the image painted in glass.

It was of her again. She wasn't asleep in it and was instead garbed in her Soldier uniform and standing in a fighting stance. Both of her hands were raised in the air, a ball of light glowing around them. Lit up in small circles around her were the faces of Peace, Passion, Strength, and Love. The others circles around her were blank. Four cats were spaced out around the circle, forming a square.

"Okay, so am I supposed to be drawing some sort of connection or remembering my past or what? 'Cause that's not happening," Heart Soldier said to the air.

A door appeared on the other side of the platform.

She sighed and walked over to it, easily pulling it open to stare out into more darkness. "This doesn't seem like a very good idea…"

Two pink and white creatures slithered up over the edge and then danced their way over to Heart Soldier without a single noise. It wasn't until one of them grabbed her arm that she realized they were there.

It was too late to do anything.

The first one tossed her up into the air, leaving the second one free to grab her leg and swing her through the door. Once she was gone, a third one appeared to shut the door. The three dancing creatures look at each other, bowed, and then vanished into the darkness.

* * *

Kairi opened her eyes to find herself back in her own room with nothing out of place. There was no cat-Sora. None of her friends were laying around her room, waiting for her to wake up. And she wasn't waking up in Naminé's room. Again.

"What the hell?" she muttered, staring up at the ceiling. "Seriously. What the hell was that about?"

Her cell phone beeped loudly, protesting its low battery.

She dragged herself out of bed to go plug it in and then collapsed back on top of her blankets. "I had better not wake up to find I'm back in my dream." She closed her eyes and let herself drift off back to sleep.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

It's short, but it's also the last of the Dream Chapters. I've let them drag on for too long. Originally, there was going to be another one, but then I combined this dream chapter with the next to try and make it longer. Then I said "screw this" and went in a whole different direction.

Besides, now I can get to Naminé confronting Olette before the end of the month.

**Next Time: **Reality 7 - Wednesday, April 1

The Strife's call a Soldier meeting and Kairi is formally introduced to the White Rose Knight. Elena starts school. And Namine confronts Olette at last.


	13. Reality 7

**Last Time : **

_Reality 6 - March 26 -_ Kairi wakes up to find Sora in her room. She finally talks to him about everything that has been going on and finds out that Olette is the Mysterious Warrior--aka Love Soldier. She also finds out that the name of the heir of Radiant Garden is Prince Ienzo. Roxas, Riku, and Cloud are all Guardians, along with Sora. Later, Demyx tells her that Zexion has been acting oddly. On her way home from talking with him, a monster appears and she transforms for the first time in Reality. Love Soldier soon joins her to help fight. They defeat the Darkside and leave with Kairi telling her about how the uniforms in her dream were like the ones in Sailor Moon. Unbeknownst to them, Namine has seen the whole fight, as well as them releasing their transformed states.

* * *

**For Love**

_Reality 7 - Wednesday, April 1 _

Five days passed.

Every night Kairi went to sleep expecting to wake up in some strange new place or in the same familiar dream. It hadn't happened.

As a matter of fact, nothing had happened. Things were almost ridiculously normal. Ever since that last dream when she got tossed through the door, there hadn't been a single attack on anyone. Talk about the Mysterious Warrior had even begun to die down at school.

There was only one thing different.

Every evening after school Sora called her and Olette together for a brief Soldier meeting. It never lasted very long. All they did was go over the different types of Heartless that were common to encounter and how to beat them. Cloud, Roxas, and Riku joined them one meeting to talk about powers.

* * *

"_You already know that every Soldier has an element assigned to them. Guardians are the same," Cloud informed them. "Take Sora and Roxas, for example. Both of them use the element of light, just as you two do. There are many different sides to each power. Sora can use his to heal or produce shields. In other words, he uses what is known as white magic. Roxas is the opposite. He can use his to create a weapon or send blasts of energy."_

"_You two are kind of the same," Sora piped up. "Olette's powers form into straight beams while Kairi's can weave all over the place."_

_Cloud nodded. "Exactly. Continuing on, Riku has chosen the path of Twilight and can use the powers of light and dark, typically in an offensive fighting style. My power is earth-based." He held out his hand and summoned a massive sword. The metal glistened in the sunlight as he easily swung it around with one hand._

"_That's why he's the Guardian for the Knights," Olette whispered to Kairi. "It was required for them to learn sword fighting."_

* * *

Wednesday was no exception. They had another meeting planned for that evening. It was the first time that the White Rose Knight was able to attend and they were going to discuss what to do about the sleeping Soldiers and Knights, as well as the prince.

"Attention everyone!" The homeroom teacher, Miss Heartilly, called to the class. "We have a new student joining us today. Please welcome Elena Hawkeye!"

Kairi glanced up from doodling on her notebook to get a look at the new girl. _'Why does her name sound so familiar?'_

Elena Hawkeye looked as normal as anyone else in the classroom. She had pretty blonde hair, which she kept pulled up into two ponytails. Her eyes were a pretty but common brown, partially hidden behind bangs. Her uniform was the same as everyone else's although she wore her tie perfectly straight. The way she carried herself was different. She stood with her spine straight and her head held high. Her hands rested at her sides, unmoving.

Kairi returned to her doodling. _'She seems sort of familiar… maybe I met her in my dream? But the only new girl was Strength and what are the odds that it's actually her?' _Her pencil lead snapped and she frowned before clicking out a fresh millimeter. _'I guess the odds are actually pretty good. I'll bring it up at the meeting tonight. If only I could re--'_

"Miss Hawkeye is joining us from Gaia's prestigious Military Academy. Please do your best to help her."

Kairi twirled her pencil around and looked over at Sora, who was looking at Elena with great interest.

* * *

Later that day, Kairi found herself sitting in Olette's room waiting for Cloud to arrive with the White Rose Knight. Sora and Roxas were quietly arguing over whether or not Elena was a Soldier while Olette and Riku attempted to find the code to hack into Radiant Garden's old database.

"I'm telling you there's another zero," Olette said, jabbing her finger at the screen. "Not there! To the left!"

"There's no way it's right there. That's the old code for airship flight schedules," Riku argued.

"No way! That one was completely different! There was an 'a' there and a 'zero' over there," Olette snapped.

"Are you crazy?! That was the code for the laser cannons!"

"No it wasn't!"

Kairi sighed and picked up a comic book resting innocently on the floor, thumbing through it in boredom. Her eyes glossed over the pictures and words inside, seeing them without really seeing them.

At long last the door opened and they all looked over to see Cloud standing there. He raised an eyebrow and then walked into the room, shoving Riku and Olette away from the computer to take a seat at the desk.

Kairi paid no attention as Olette started fussing with the spiky-haired blond for being too rough with the equipment. Her attentions were focused solely on the figure who came in behind Cloud. The comic book slipped from her hands and her mouth soundlessly opened in surprise.

Yuffie chipperly looked around the room until her brown eyes landed on Kairi. Then her lips split into a wide grin. "So I was right! You really _are _Heart Soldier! This is great! It's rare for me to be right about this stuff."

"Yuffie, do you have the code?" Cloud asked, shattering her happiness.

Yuffie sighed and muttered: "Killjoy."

Cloud looked away from the computer and narrowed his eyes at her. "This is more important than your love life. We _need_ that code."

Yuffie stuck her tongue out and plopped down on the bed next to Kairi, pulling the redhead close. "_Nothing _is more important than my love life. And I don't have the code."

"You said you had it."

"No, what I said was that I know who has it."

"Then who has it?"

"You really don't know? Sheesh…"

"Yuffie!"

"Okay, okay!" Yuffie held up her hands defensively. "If anyone would know the code it'd be Wisdom Soldier! He practically built the thing anyway. Well, the newest version at least."

Cloud scowled and shut down the computer. "We won't be finding him anytime soon. Not until we find the other Soldiers."

"They're awakening quickly," Roxas said. "Sora's already found Floral and Storm. He talked to them the other day about joining us for a meeting or two. And I'm not even going to start on the Knights. I can't count how many things Axel has lit on fire lately."

Kairi, who had been trying to inch away from Yuffie's death grip, froze at the mention of her brother. "W-what do you mean? Like, with a lighter, right? I'm pretty sure he stole one from Reno one day. Unless that was in my dream… I mean, there's no way he did it any other way, right? He's not… he can't be!"

"I keep forgetting that you don't remember," Sora said, scooting over so Riku could sit down between him and Roxas. The blonde scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, though whether it was because of Riku or the conversation it was difficult to tell.

"Axel is one of the Knights. He's the Dancing Flames. In the past you Soldier's were the first to awaken, but this time it looks like everyone's coming back at the same time," Yuffie said.

"It's not a good thing," Riku spoke up. "It means that the Dark Ones are incredibly strong. Things were bad enough in the past when all of you were trained. I can't imagine how this battle will go."

Olette plopped down in her orange beanbag and crossed her legs. "We'll just have to work harder. Kairi will remember soon, I'm sure. And if we really can find everyone we'll have a better chance. There may even be some new Soldiers and Knights who we didn't know before!"

Sora nodded. "We were so spread out across the worlds last time that it's no wonder we couldn't beat them. This time everyone is gathering here."

Cloud cleared his throat. "Before we get away from what we're supposed to be discussing, let me put you back on track. Our goal here tonight is to decide what to do about the Soldiers and Knights who haven't awoken yet. The ones we know of, at least."

"I think we should tell them," Olette said. "It's unfair of me to keep secrets like this from Naminé and Selphie will eventually do so much snooping that she'll find out on her own."

"What about the new girl from Gaia in our homeroom class?" Sora asked. "She's _got _to be Strength Soldier, right?"

"We don't know that yet," Riku said. "Wait and let her settle in. Or at least let Roxas get to know her first. If anyone could tell us if it's her, it'd be him."

Roxas nodded.

"So how do you plan to tell them?" Yuffie asked. "I mean, you can't just go up to them and go 'hey, you're Peace Soldier! Come fight with us!' You'd get laughed at or make your poor girlfriend cry because she thinks you've gone crazy."

"I was kind of hoping she would just… remember," Olette admitted with a wince. "I've been trying to drop clues."

Something inside of Kairi snapped as she finally broke free of Yuffie's grip and got to her feet. "I don't think kissing her as Love Soldier can be considered 'dropping a clue'."

"Olette! How could you do that?!" Riku demanded.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time!"

"Naminé's going to be pissed when she finds out," Roxas said.

"Oh trust me. She is," a voice hissed from the doorway.

The seven turned to face to speaker and watched as the door opened to reveal an absolutely livid Naminé on the other side. Her hands were clenched tightly at her sides, her chest heaving as if she had just run a mile.

Olette jumped to her feet as if she'd been stung by an angry bee. "N-Naminé!"

"Leave us," Naminé demanded, her eyes never leaving Olette. "You can talk about how to tell Selphie and the boys later."

The others quickly fled the room. Naminé's wrath was a sight to behold, thought none of them wanted to stick around to see it.

Kairi took off the moment she stepped outside the door, not wanting to give Yuffie a chance to talk to her.

Yuffie's face fell as she watched the redhead run away. "How can she not remember?" she whispered. "It's like I'm starting all over again… like she hates me again…"

"She's scared," Cloud said wisely. "She was so sure that all of this was just in that dream of hers, no matter how realistic it seemed. And now she's been thrust into all of this without really knowing why. She's the only one of us who does not remember the past yet. And here Sora is trying to push the two of you together whenever he gets the chance and she doesn't know why." He gave Sora a disapproving look. "Give her time to remember. Things will work out."

"Wow," Yuffie stared at Cloud in amazement.

"What?"

"That's the most I've ever heard you talk at once," Yuffie said in wonder. "Don't stop now. Say something else!"

Cloud rolled his eyes and began walking. "Hn."

"Aww, c'mon, spiky! Talk to me!" Yuffie exclaimed, more than happy to go running after him.

Sora and Roxas exchanged amused glances before following the two. Sora paused and turned back around when he realized that Riku wasn't following. Instead, the silver-haired male was staring up at the sky.

"Hey, Riku! Are you coming?"

Riku said nothing.

Sora waved Roxas on and then jogged over to his boyfriend. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…"

Sora huffed and tapped his foot against the ground until Riku finally looked down at him.

"Something doesn't feel right," Riku explained. "I don't know what it is. It's almost like the balance of the worlds is off. I haven't felt anything like this since…"

"The Heartless?" Sora whispered, his eyes wide.

Riku nodded.

"This is bad," Sora muttered. "_Really_ bad. I'm going to have to call on the others. Do you think Fire Cross and Brave Soldier are awake yet? We could _really_ use their help again…"

"If they are, I'm sure they'll help," Riku said reassuringly. He put his hands on Sora's back and began steering him away from Olette's house. "Lets not dwell on it right now. We still need to awaken Passion and Strength first."

"Not Peace?"

"I'm sure that's already been taken care of."

* * *

Naminé crossed her arms over her chest and glared shards of ice at Olette.

"Nami--"

"Shut up," Naminé snapped. "I don't want to hear whatever excuse you've come up with. I cannot _believe_ you did that to me! You should have known how I would feel about it! What were you-- _no. _I don't _care _what you were thinking! I- I don't even want to talk to you." She spun on her heel and stomped out of the room without another word.

Olette let her go.

* * *

Kairi threw herself onto her bed the moment she made it to the sanctuary of her room. "Why can't things be the way they used to be?" she mumbled into her pillow. "I hate this…." _'I hate this…'_

* * *

_End Chapter_

* * *

I have one more chapter I can post, but I think I'll wait a week. **National Novel Writing Month **starts on Sunday, so all of my attention will be on working on my novel. If I can finish another chapter before then and get it typed up, then I'll have two chapters to post during November. I would hold this one for a while longer, but I did say I'd post it before November.

I apologize for the short chapters lately, although they do let me post chapters more quickly. And I'm really not cutting anything out. At least... I don't think I am. Anyway, the next chapter gets a bit more... interesting, as I introduce a new Soldier.

**Next time: **Past 1 - Radiant Garden

Kairi ends up in a strange new world and meets a very odd Soldier who shows her the past. She at last recovers her memories.


	14. Past 1

**For Love**

_Past 1: Radiant Garden_

Kairi opened her eyes to find that she was floating above a beautiful garden just outside of a massive white castle. Every sort of flower, and then some, seemed to be contained in that area and positively radiated with life and energy. Not only were there flowers, but all sorts of trees and bushes, some with leaves just as brightly colored as the flowers. Off to one side was a large winding maze.

Looking around, Kairi spotted several fountains shooting water in graceful arcs through the air, as well as a simple white colored aqueduct system carrying water to the plants and fountains.

In the middle of the garden was a courtyard made by slabs of blue and green stone arranged into patterns. She could see several people milling about the area and decided to float closer for a better look.

Pulling weeds out of a bed of roses was a man with pink hair. Judging by the clothing and mask he wore, Kairi assumed he was a Soldier. His uniform wasn't unlike hers. Though instead of white and magenta, his was black and light pink and the clip on his tie was in the shape of a pink rose. His pants, boots, and tie were all black, leaving his shirt, wrist-length gloves, and mask to be the same pink as the clip on his tie.

Lounging on a bench near the pink man was a female Soldier with short yellow hair. Two strips of hair stuck out from the rest, creating the image of antennae. Her uniform was mostly black, though it had yellow accents. Her sleeveless black shirt clung to her upper body, emphasizing her chest, and ended right above her belly button. Her tie was black except for the single strip of yellow on the end of it and the yellow lightning-bolt clasp. Her skirt hung low on her hips, the waistband clinging just right to her body. The rest of it was pleated and there was a single strip of yellow winding around the bottom hem. Her gloves went all the way up to her upper arm and were plain black. Her boots were also plain black and rose all the way up to her knees.

Towards the middle of the courtyard were two familiar faces. One was in orange and cream and the other in white and pale, pale blue.

"They're taking too long," drawled the blonde. "Do they think we have all day to sit around here and wait for them? They're not _that _important."

The pink haired man wiped his brow and glanced over at her. "We _did_ arrive early, my dear. They aren't late yet."

"And they won't be."

Kairi sharply inhaled at the sound of the voice and floated around to face the speaker. As unusual as it was for her to be floating in the air in a strange new place, nothing could have prepared her for the figure walking over to join them.

"_That's… me…" _she breathed.

At least, it looked like her. However, the approaching figure looked to be several years older and more mature with a look in her eyes that spoke volumes of what she had seen and done. Behind the older her were more familiar faces, though each of them also looked older or different in some way.

She recognized Sora, Riku, Roxas, and Cloud, with their unchanging hair. Passion Soldier was behind them arguing with a navy blue and white Soldier who could have only been Strength.

'_What's going on?' _Kairi wondered. _'What is this place?'_

"I'm glad to see you haven't changed, Storm," Heart Soldier said. "I thank you on behalf of the King and Queen for making the long voyage from Olympus. I know you prefer staying there." She turned to the pink-haired man next. "Floral, why is it that the moment you arrive weeds appear in the roses? Sometimes I believe they grow overnight just for you."

Floral Soldier smirked and stood up, dusting off his black pants with his pink-gloved hands. "Are you so sure it isn't merely the incompetence of the gardeners here?"

"Possibly." Heart Soldier sounded amused. "Sora, can we begin the meeting?"

Sora looked around and then shook his head. "Wisdom and the Knights aren't here yet. We need to wait for them."

Heart scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. "They're late. I say we start without them."

Passion rolled her eyes. "Lets not start with that again. You know there is no way we can start talking without them. It would be pointless to say everything twice. Besides, Prince Wisdom has something important he wants to talk to us about. The whole reason for this meeting is to involve as many people as possible!"

"And yet the Destiny Islands Trio is exempt from this," Strength Soldier grumbled.

Kairi floated closer until her feet were gliding right along the ground. Listening to them talk, seeing the garden and the courtyard, hearing about Soldiers she didn't know about yet… all of it felt so familiar to her. She couldn't help but feel as though she'd been there before. A touch of sadness underlined all of her feelings.

She watched as the older her began to argue with Passion Soldier until Roxas intervened with a single sentence. The feeling of familiarity and sadness increased.

"_This can't be past, could it?" _she wondered out loud. _"Could someone please tell me how this is possible?"_

"_All you had to do was ask."_

Kairi turned around to find an extremely feminine-looking man floating in the air behind her with one leg crossed over the other. Several balls of white light floated around him. His silvery-blue, feather-like hair gently fluttered in a nonexistent breeze, trailing down his back. He wore a simple silver mask over his eyes, though the rest of his clothes looking nothing like the usual Soldier garb. His shirt wasn't much of a shirt, only covering part of his upper chest and it had long flowing sleeves attached to it. He wore no pants, though something like a half of a skirt covered his butt all the way down to his ankles. To make things even more confusing, he has the curvaceous body of a girl thanks to his extremely thin waist.

'_Oh dear god… tell me that's not a thong.'_

"_I am the Soldier of Dreams! The Restoration of Balance in this world! I am the reason for your recent dreams as well as the pain you felt in and out of them," _the man said with a flamboyant bow.

Kairi fought to keep her eyes on his feminine face rather than his crotch. _'Is this guy for real? I didn't think anyone could be more flamboyant than Axel.'_ _"Why are you here?"_

"_To restore your memories, of course. I daresay I've only been confusing you thus far. You always were the stubborn one," _Dream Soldier said.

Kairi narrowed her eyes. _"Don't lie. You just wanted to fuck with my head!"_ she snapped. Her eyes went wide and she gasped and covered her mouth. _"W-where did that come from?"_

"_The old you is starting to shine through," _Dream Soldier said, sounding bored. _"Lets have a change of scenery, shall we? This is so terribly dull." _He waved his hand and the world around them shifted. The colors, shapes, sounds, and smells blurred together until the formed a new place. _"Now this is better. Training rookies is always a treat for me to watch." _He chuckled.

Kairi frowned and looked down to see Passion Soldier shoot off fire at someone with red hair before dashing after the figure, her hands ablaze. She floated a little closer only to have to dodge out of the way as a geyser of water shot up from the ground before becoming frozen. Feeling defeated, she floated back up to a smug-looking Dream Soldier.

"_Cocky bastard," _she muttered, most definitely not looking at his crotch.

"_Those are the Knights," _Dream Soldier said, gesturing to the yard below. _"You Inner Ring Soldiers were given the task of training them since their powers were so very much like yours."_

Kairi looked down, straining to get a good look at the Knights. She could easily spot Passion and Peace practically flying around the yard, weaving in and out of attacks before delivering their own. To one side Kairi could see her other self fighting a figure in white and green clothes. Sitting around watching everyone fight were the four Guardians, Strength, and Love, as well as a few people she didn't recognize.

"_Who are they?" _Kairi asked, pointing to the three unfamiliar Soldiers.

"_Hmm…" _Dream Soldier looked thoughtful, _"Sorry, but you'll have to remember them all on your own."_

They watched for a few more minutes before Dream Soldier yawned loudly and snapped his fingers, shattering the scene before them.

"_That's enough of that. There's just one more thing I am required to show you before I can let you go." _He chuckled and cracked his knuckles. With another snap of his fingers, everything shifted again and he vanished, leaving Kairi standing alone in a smoke-filled battlefield in her Soldier uniform.

She looked around wildly, couching and trying to see through the smoke. She tried to move to get a better view, but found she couldn't move at all.

"Heart! Come quick!"

She turned towards the speaker, a hazy figure stumbling over rubble, and replied: "I'm coming, Nocturne!"

'_What is this?' _Kairi thought as her body began moving on its own. _'Why can't I move? Why can't I say anything?' _Overwhelming fear roared up inside of her as she scrambled after the blue-clothed 'Nocturne' overtop crumbling stone. She gasped when she saw the entire castle in ruins and the bodies of people laying everywhere. Horrible creatures roamed everywhere, pausing occasionally to swat at something or to fall over from the attack of a Soldier or Knight. Fighting one of the larger Dark Ones was a gray and purple suited male Soldier.

"_Ethereal Eclipse!" _Heart shouted, unleashing her ultimate attack just as the blue Knight called forth a geyser to shoot the Dark One into the air.

"Are you okay, Wisdom?" Heart asked as she hurried over to the Soldier.

Wisdom looked up at her and nodded, his mask long since lost in the fight. The very second his blue-gray eyes met hers, something clicked inside of Kairi's soul. Memories came rushing back, overwhelming her head and blurring her vision. Images of each of her fellow Soldiers and the long days they spent training together flickered through her head like a slide show on fast-forward. She remembered meeting the prince as a child and how the two quickly became friends. She remembered meeting each of the other Soldiers and the training they went through under Cloud and later Sora, Roxas, and Riku. She remembered the day she found out her older brother was destined to be a knight and fight alongside of her and the other Soldiers. She remembered waking up early one morning to screams and explosions and going outside to find that the kingdom she worked so hard to protect was being destroyed by horrible creatures. She remembered the King and Queen--

Kairi struggled to yell that the King and Queen were in danger, straining with all her might against the unbreakable cage she was trapped inside. She couldn't so much as move and was forced to watch helplessly through the eyes of her past self.

A figure crashed through one of the few remaining glass windows, landing heavily in front of them. Blood poured from the white figures wounds and she struggled to breathe, her blue eyes blinking rapidly in pain. One of her wrists was twisted awkwardly and there was a black spike through her other arm and several more in her legs.

"Peace!" Heart gasped, rushing forward to her friend. She knelt down beside her, ignoring the blood pooling around her. "Peace! What happened?"

"I-I'm sorry," Peace struggled to whisper. "I was n-no match." She hissed in pain when Kairi touched one of the spikes, tears springing to her eyes.

Wisdom walked over and kneeled down beside her as well, looking troubled. "Heart, there's nothing we can do. Her wounds are far too grievous for even my mother to heal."

Kairi's heart clenched at the words. Peace was the very first Soldier she met and trained with. She had never been one for fighting and preferred healing or casting protective barriers whenever she was needed. "Peace," she whispered, tears sliding down her face. "You can't die. You can't! You- you just sit here and wait and then we'll get help once the battle is over! We'll find a way!"

Wisdom looked at her sadly but said nothing.

Peace reached out a trembling hand to Heart's face and wiped away a tear. "D-don't cry f-for me. G-go out and- and fight. The others…" She dropped her hand to the ground and took in a shuddering breath as she closed her eyes. "They need you."

"_Peace!" _Heart screamed as her oldest friend's breathing stilled and all of the tension released from her body. She shook her head and tore off her mask. "NO! No! This can't be happening! You're not supposed to die! No one is supposed to die!"

Wisdom pulled her away. "There's nothing that can be done, Heart. We need to go."

"No!"

Wisdom pulled back his arm and let a stinging slap fly across her cheek, his blue eyes burning angrily. "Pull yourself together!" he yelled, gripping her shoulders tightly. "There's nothing that can be done for her now! The others need you to stay strong and get out there and help them fight! Listen to me!"

Heart stared at him, doing nothing to stop the stream of tears rolling down her face. Slowly she reached up to touch her reddening cheek. "Y-you smacked me."

"You were hysterical. I had to do something to snap you out of it," Wisdom said. "We need to get back out there and fight!"

"But Peace…"

"Is gone," Wisdom said bluntly. He softened his tone a little when it didn't seem like he was getting through to her. "The others need us now. I'm upset that this happened too, but we cannot afford to lose our heads. We need to regroup with the others and protect my parents."

Heart shook her head. "No. No, we need to get you out of here. If anything happens to you then our kingdom really will fall. We can't let that happen."

"I'm staying," Wisdom said firmly. "I'm a Soldier too, remember? And that duty comes first. If I survive and everyone else dies then where will that leave us? It'll only be a matter of time before they find and kill me as well. You can't convince me otherwise, so don't try."

An explosion rocked the ground nearby and Wisdom winced and stumbled a little. Heart looked at him worriedly, but he shook his head.

"It's nothing. Lets go."

The two jumped up and over the crumbling building and landed in what used to be the flower gardens. They looked around for a moment before running across the debris to jump up onto one of the crumbling walls for a better look around.

Heart trembled when she saw the number of monstrous Dark Ones roaming around and the lack of screams echoing around. Every now and then a weakened attack from one of the other Soldiers would flare up, but it didn't seem like they were doing much damage to the creatures anymore.

"Mother… no…" Wisdom whispered.

Heart turned to look in the same direction and clenched her fists when she saw the largest Dark One of them all advancing on the King and Queen

"Come on!" Heart shouted, jumping down. As she ran across the crumbling ruins, slipping on occasion, she gathered her energy to her hands. She was vaguely aware of Wisdom doing the same behind her. She skidded to a halt and let him run past her as she aimed her hands at the monster. She had to at least stall for time. _"Heavenly Strike!" _She jerked her hands down in a slicing gesture, unleashing a blast of her signature pink energy.

The Dark One crashed to its knees from the attack, but quickly recovered and continued on its slow, lumbering way. A large brick wall suddenly sprang up between it and the Queen and King and Heart felt a sense of relief that Wisdom still had the strength for something so big. Although it was an illusion, she knew from experience that the brain would perceive it as being solid. It was only a matter of how long he could hold it up.

"_Thor's Hammer!" _

Heart smirked at the massive thunderbolts that crashed down on the Dark One, sending it reeling back. She knew that attack very well. Only Strength had mastered it to that extent. Not even Storm could compete with her on that Limit Break.

"_Out of the way!" _

Heart looked around and spotted Love just as the infuriated Soldier jumping into the air, a bright orange light pulsating around her. She gasped and rolled behind a wall just as Love unleashed her deadliest attack.

"_**Mega Flare!"**_

By the sound of it, both she and Passion had used the attack at the same time in hopes of completely demolishing the monster. Heart had to scoot away from the wall as it heated up thanks to the fiery inferno on the other side. A cloud of dust rolled past as the ground shuddered and Heart took that as a sign that it was safe for her to get back out and fight.

She gathered her energy into her hands once she saw the great form flailing about on the ground. _'It's almost dead! Just a few more good hits and we'll have one less to worry about.'_

"_No!" _Kairi tried to scream.

Heart dashed forward and delivered a series of energy laced punches as lightning and fire danced around her. She ignored the buildup of energy around her, passing it off as just an effect of the large amount of attacks being tossed around.

Suddenly she was blasted up and pain raced up her arm. Heart saw white. Her arm felt like it was burning from the inside out, as if her very bones were made of white fire. She didn't even feel the impact as she slammed into one of the few remaining walls and dropped to her knees with blood flowing down her arms. She didn't hear the terrified screams of her friends, just a dull roar as her vision turned blurry. She let out a blood curdling scream as every bone in her right arm shattered and tore through skin and muscle as it flew from her arm. Two black spikes were left to fall free of the mutilated skin still left and clattered on the ground before falling.

"Heart! Heart!"

She fell forward into her own blood, making a sickening splat when she landed. She blinked her eyes, trying to clear her vision. She couldn't move her body. She couldn't speak. She felt so numb. So tired. All she wanted to do was go to sleep. Then everything would be okay.

Kairi felt herself being drawn out of her body as the remaining Soldiers and Knights gathered around her. If she had a body, she was sure she would be trembling from what she had just lived through again.

"_Why?!" _she shouted at the sky. _"Why did I need to see this again?! Why? I already know what happened!"_

She got no answer.

"_Damn it," _she cursed, wrapping her arms around herself. _"Can I get out of here now?" _

A wind picked up and blew her towards the King and Queen, who were standing on the last tower with a Soldier she had only caught glimpses of in the past.

She was a young girl with bright yellow hair and blue and red beads strewn on braids. Her pleated skirt was blue, as was her tie. Her shirt was bright orange and split a few inches under her bust to fall open and reveal her stomach. The back of her shirt was longer than her skirt and fell to the back of her knees. Her gloves were made of a thick white material but only hooked around her thumb and didn't cover the rest of her hands. Instead, there was a skin-tight pair of fingerless orange gloves beneath it to cover her palms. Her shoes were blue and white. In her hand was a scythe that was easily as twice as tall as she was. The curved blade was bright red-orange in color.

The Queen turned to the king, her long brown hair tumbling down her back in endless waves. She took his hands in hers and looked up into his blue eyes. She mouthed something to him before smiling and closing her eyes.

The King removed his hands from hers and pulled her as close to him as possible. His chin rested comfortably on top of hers. He closed his eyes tightly as tears began leaking out to trail down his face.

The unfamiliar Soldier raised her scythe high. The air rippled beneath her feet as she rose into the air. The jewel on her forehead began to glow pure white as she slowly spun the weapon around once. She paused a moment with the blade held high in the air, glowing with power. Then she grasped the handle tightly with both hands and began flipping it around quickly, hand over hand.

Light began to emanate from the King and Queen, growing stronger with each passing second. It soon grew so bright that Kairi couldn't bear to look directly at it anymore. In the few seconds that she looked away, the invisible dam holding back the energy broke and it all began flowing into the unfamiliar Soldier.

When the last drop of life had left the bodies of the King and Queen, the Soldier stopped spinning her weapon. She changed her grip on it and then sliced it through the air as she uttered one word: _"Rebirth." _

Kairi's vision went white as everything vanished and she fell back to reality.

* * *

end chapter

* * *

Holy Mansex it feels good to be writing fanfiction again. I've missed working on this! I know the month isn't _quite _over yet and I'm still a teeny bit behind on my word count, but working on this chapter has kept me from going completely insane this week.

So, yeah. There are a ton of Soldiers left to be introduced. This is going to be a _very _long fanfiction. I never expected it to snowball like this. I figured I'd be sick of it by chapter 10 and trying to find a way to wrap it up quickly. This is chapter... fourteen? Is it? I should throw myself a party. It's been a while since I've written anything long like this. This fanfiction is currently at 43,522 words, which means it's about the same length as my novel currently is. It just needs another 2000 words before it catches up. You know what that means? This thing is going to be even longer than my poor novel.

Oh well.

The next chapter might take a while. It needs some work. A lot of work. I really need to sit and figure out where I'm going with this so I don't end up wandering in circles for another ten chapters. Thankfully, after it is another chapter on the Past and then I can drag my Kairi/Yuffie plot bunnies out of the closet and put them to work. Bwahaha!

I think my brain spent the past month trying to come up with more Soldiers... I just added another four to my list, as well as a new Knight. No more, please!

I'm still working on figuring out my main villain. I've got a few ideas so far.

And you can thank my friends for Kuja being in this. I was just sitting at a table in the hall at school one morning and they started talking about Kuja and how gay he is in Final Fantasy Dissidia and I was like 'hmmm.... I haven't used him before! *cackles*' He won't show up too often.


	15. Reality 8

The lyrics at the beginning are _**not **_mine (which means I claim _**zero **_ownership and am merely borrowing a part of it.) I felt they were appropriate for Sora to have as a ringtone for when Kairi calls. Anyway, it's part of the chorus to Katy Perry's song "I Kissed a Girl".

* * *

**For Love**

_Reality 8 _

Thursday, April 2

_"I kissed a girl and I liked it  
The taste of her cherry chapstick  
I kissed a girl just to try it  
I hope--"_

A groan came from under blue blankets before a hand emerged to fumble for the obnoxious phone going off on the bedside table. At last the hand grasped the object and was dragged into the darkness of the blankets.

"Hey, Kai. Can't it wait until school?" Sora sleepily mumbled.

"_Dream Soldier is one fucked up person, you know that?"_

Sora yawned. "Yeah, I know."

"_Seriously, the man has the hips of a woman! And don't even get me started on his-his- whatever the hell you'd call that thing he wears!"_

Sora shuffled around under the blankets for a few seconds before he threw them back and sat up, his eyes wide. "You finally met him? So does that mean you remember everything now?"

"_Yes, Sora. I remember."_

"This is great!" Sora happily exclaimed, no longer feeling the least bit tired. "Maybe now Yuffie won't be so sad. Hey, Dream Soldier didn't try to really mess with you, did he? 'Cuz he gave me nightmares about horrible creatures for weeks before he showed me anything else. And you don't wanna know what he did to Roxas and Cloud. And Riku… Man, that guy's a jerk."

"_The messed up dream world was his doing."_

Sora nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. I should have thought of that when you first told me. So do you really remember everyone? Like, umm… Floral Soldier and Storm Soldier?"

"_They're Outer Ring Soldiers. Floral's colors are pink and black and he likes plants. Storm's colors are yellow and black and she's really impatient and doesn't like dealing with people."_

A large smile spread across Sora's face. "This is great! I can't wait to tell the others! This is such a great day. You've remembered everything and we get to tell Selphie that she's Passion Soldier! Alright, I'll see you at school!" He flipped his phone shut before Kairi had the chance to say anything else. "It's going to be a great day," he murmured as he flopped back on his pillow.

* * *

Selphie giggled happily as she walked home from school with Kairi, Sora, and Roxas. She and Sora had been talking the whole time, commenting on everything from classes to the exact shade of blue the sky was.

"So then he whipped out this old Meowth Poke'mon card and shouted 'Team Rocket blasting off again!' and ran out of the room!" Selphie exclaimed, gesturing wildly with her hands.

Sora laughed. "I can totally see him doing that! What did the teacher say after that?"

"That's the best part! He struck a pose and yelled 'Yeah! Way to go Pikachu!' And then the whole class laughed, for like, five minutes."

"What?! There's no way!"

"I swear it happened! Just ask Tidus."

Kairi sighed and kicked a rock down the road. She _really _wasn't looking forward to telling Selphie. If being a Soldier was rough on her, it'd be worse for Selphie. The girl was always busy doing some club activity or trying to arrange some massive get-together for all of her friends. Soon she wouldn't have time to do all of that.

All too soon they came to the front door of the Sinclair house and let themselves inside before trekking up the stairs. They passed by Axel's silent bedroom door and filed into Kairi's room, taking seats in various places.

Selphie immediately took up the bed, bouncing a little and messing up the blankets. Sora sat down on the edge of the bed beside her while Roxas pulled out the pink bean bag chair from under the bed and sat down. Kairi sat down on her computer chair.

"Soo…" Selphie looked at her three friends expectantly, her green eyes glittering in amusement. "Fought any tough Heartless lately?"

* * *

Demyx paced around outside, anxiously worrying his lower lip. _'Should I go inside? Axel's off doing something with Riku and Reno's probably stalking Cloud. I don't even know if Kairi is home!'_

"Mrs. Sinclair said I'm always welcome inside anytime, right?" he asked himself. "She even give me a key! But I'd feel really weird going inside by myself… But I'd feel even more awkward sitting on the porch to wait for someone… like a lost puppy…" He stopped and sighed. _'I can't go home yet! I __**have**__ to talk to someone about this!'_

"_**What do you mean you already know?!"**_

Demyx blinked and looked up to the second-story bedroom window with the pink curtains. He knew that scream.

'_Kairi's home!'_

He practically ran to the door, tripping over the porch steps in the process, and twisted the doorknob so he could push it open. He deposited his shoes near the door and then dashed up the stairs, stumbling over the last few steps. He ran down the hall and paused outside of her bedroom when he heard Roxas speak.

"…make sense that you remember. Dream Soldier is the one in charge of restoring memories…..likes to fuck with people's heads…..told them it was a bad idea."

"Really? 'cuz I had no problems with him at all," Selphie said. "He seemed rather nice!"

"You think _everyone_ is nice," Roxas grumbled.

"Hey! I do not!" Selphie protested.

"You think Miss Lockheart is nice," Sora spoke up.

"Because she is! She always puts a smiley face sticker on the papers I turn in!"

"But she's a bitch!"

"Don't say such things about her!"

"I'll say what I want!"

Selphie gasped. "Take it back!"

"No!"

Demyx heard Kairi's quiet voice next just before the door opened and he came face-to-face with the redhead.

"Eh heh. Hey, Kairi," he said, waving sheepishly. "It's a, uh, very lovely day, isn't it? I mean, um, we haven't seen clouds all day, even though it was supposed to rain and, uh, there's a nice breeze!"

Kairi raised an eyebrow and Demyx started to panic, searching for a reason as to why he was in the house when Axel was clearly not there with him.

"I was just in the neighborhood and was walking by and thought 'hey! I bet Kairi's home!' And then I heard you yell so I came inside to make sure everything's alright and I swear Ididn''msorry!"

Kairi sighed and ran her hand through her hair in frustration. "Guys, me and Demyx are going for a walk. I'll be back later."

"Are you sure?" Roxas asked. "I'll go with you."

Kairi shook her head. "No. I don't trust Sora and Selphie to come up with a decent excuse as to why they're in my room without me. This shouldn't take too long." She shut the door behind her and gestured for Demyx to follow her. Downstairs, they slipped their shoes on and stepped outside onto the porch.

"We always end up walking outside when we need to talk," Demyx mused.

"How much did you hear?" Kairi asked.

Demyx shrugged. "Something about Dream Soldier and restoring memories. Then Selphie and Sora started arguing. Is Miss Lockheart really so bad that Sora doesn't like her, 'cause I'm with Selphie on this one. I liked having her as my teacher. She made things make sense."

"That's it?" Kairi asked. "That's all you heard?"

Demyx nodded. "Yup. I just have one question."

'_Here is comes,' _Kairi thought.

"Do you think Zexion is Prince Ienzo?"

Whatever question Kairi was expecting, that was not it. "W-what?"

Demyx repeated his question and then said "I know it doesn't make much sense, but I _really _think it's him. Call it a Knight's instinct or whatever."

Kairi led Demyx down the porch steps and down the driveway to follow to sidewalk. "I guess I don't have to ask if you remember everything. So, if Zexion's the prince then why is he running away from us?"

Demyx shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't remember everything and whatever he does remember is some huge mistake he made. We should all be trying to talk to him!"

Kairi shook her head and lowered her eyes to the concrete, stepping over the cracks. "The others keep saying that we need to wait until we have the other Soldiers and the Knights before we can find him."

"Do you _know_ how long that'll take?! There's over twenty of us! We'll never get around to talking to him!"

"If it takes too long then he'll regain his memories in his own time."

Demyx crossed his arms over his chest. "You obviously know nothing about Zexion. He doesn't believe in anything other than what science and reason can prove! If his dreams suddenly change to something more fantastical there's no way he'd take it to be the truth!"

"If he's really the prince he'll believe it," Kairi said.

"No he won't! He was the same way back then, or do you not remember?"

Kairi thought back for a moment, sorting through her new-but-old memories. Al she could remember was Ienzo's great willpower and ability to think rationally under any circumstance. But maybe that was the problem. Back then it was perfectly logical for them to have powers and fight. They grew up knowing that's what they had to do. It wasn't the same way in their new life.

"I guess you're right," Kairi gave in. "But how are we going to convince him?"

"First we need to talk to him."

* * *

Friday, April 3

"_Please_, Axel?" Kairi begged. "I'll- I'll take out the trash for a week!"

Axel crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll make dinner and clean dishes for a week!"

Axel tapped his foot.

"What do you want from me?" Kairi asked, her voice rising to a yell. "I've offered everything I can think of!"

"Make up an excuse for me on Sunday as to why I can't go visit Great Grandpa Reno," Axel said. "I've got tickets to go see Demyx's favorite band and I'm taking him and Roxas with me."

"That's unusually generous of you," Kairi remarked.

Axel shrugged. "I won them. And anyway, it's Demyx's birthday present. I'm gonna surprise him with it at the surprise party Selphie's throwing for him tomorrow. Did you forget?"

"He didn't even tell me about it!" Kairi exclaimed. "I was just talking to him yesterday! He dropped by while you were busy doing something or other. I walked him partway home and we talked and everything!"

"It's a _surprise_ party," Axel said in his best _'duh'_ tone. "He's not supposed to know about it! Then it wouldn't be a surprise!"

"Are you kidding? Demyx can sniff out a surprise or secret from a mile away," Kairi argued.

"Are you sure you're not thinking of Selphie?"

"Well she can do that too. Everyone knows that." Kairi shifted her weight from one foot to another. "Fine. Whatever. I'll come up with a good excuse. And I'll text it to you so our stories match."

Axel grinned. "Cool. Have fun hanging with the ladies." He ruffled her hair and walked away.

"One of those 'girls' is Roxas!" Kairi yelled after him.

"Exactly!" Axel laughed.

* * *

A few hours later Kairi found herself in in the study of the Strife house. Cloud was sitting at the computer, frowning and trying to access the old system. Sora, Riku, and Roxas were sitting on the couch with a deck of cards. Olette was sitting on the floor with Naminé in her lap. Selphie, Demyx, and Kairi were also on the floor, sitting in a triangle.

"No matter how we look at it, we don't have enough information," Olette said. "I mean, we really don't know anything about our enemy or those Heartless or the Dark Ones! We need to find the prince quickly so we can access the system and get it back up and running."

"It won't tell us everything we need to know." Cloud tiredly turned away from the computer and regarded them with a serious look. "It can only tell us what was stored on the system before. Most likely we'll have to create records based on our own experiences."

Demyx looked around the room, appearing surprised. "You guys still don't know who the prince is? I mean, it's kind of obvious."

"We know his name is Ienzo, but not much else," Selphie said. "And, um… he has light grayish hair that's in his face? I haven't seen anyone who makes me think of him."

"Who do you think it is, Demyx?" Riku asked.

"Zexion."

Kairi waited for one of the others to scoff, but Sora, Riku, and Roxas looked thoughtful while the others looked confused.

"Who?" Olette asked.

"Zexion," Demyx repeated. "You haven't met him yet, Olette. But you have, Selphie! The last time we all went to the beach. Riku invited him."

"Oh yeah," Selphie said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "That was the day you kept running past me and blocking my sun. He was the quiet one who sat on the dock and read, right?"

Demyx nodded happily. "He was! But, uh, now he's avoiding me. I don't even know why! I've been trying to find out but so far…"

There was silence for a moment before Cloud stood up to address all of them.

"Until we find Strength and the prince, there isn't much we can do but continue to fight and figure out what our enemy wants," he said. "We also need to watch out for the other Knights. Yuffie and Demyx are testament to how quickly everyone is regaining their powers. And everyone seems to be gathering here." He looked at them grimly. "This battle will be harder than we thought."

The door swung open, breaking the tension. A young woman with bright yellow hair and a man with pink hair walked into the room.

"I thought it was Brave's job to spout off the doom and gloom," the woman remarked.

The man fluffed his hair as he looked around the room. "Now, now, Larxene. You know as well as I that Cloud has always been just as gloomy as Brave."

Kairi frowned. They seemed familiar, but were they really who she thought they were?

"Larxene, Marluxia, you two are late," Sora remarked.

Riku leaned over to Sora and muttered "What are they doing here?"

"Relax," Sora whispered back, kissing him on the cheek. "Guys, you remember Storm and Floral, right?"

"How could I forget?" Kairi asked, looking at Marluxia. "You always took such good care of the garden when you dropped in."

Marluxia grinned. "Someone had to. It wasn't my fault your palace and gardeners were so incompetent they couldn't keep weeds out of the garden."

Larxene rolled her eyes. "Lets _not _get into that again. We're here for a reason and that reason is not to talk about gardening."

Marluxia scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's always a good time to talk about gardening."

Larxene shoved him back and took a step forward, her spine rigidly straight. "We've felt the presence of other Soldiers awakening and gathering on this planet. Knights too are awakening and gathering here. By the time the final battle arrives, the odds should be in our favor."

"We still have a ways to go, though," Cloud said. "Is that all?"

"No. Marluxia, the file?" Larxene looked to her partner.

Marluxia withdrew a pink folder from his shoulder bag and handed it to Cloud, who immediately flipped it open. One eyebrow went up at the content of the file.

"This will help greatly," he said.

Larxene nodded. "So we thought. We'll see you around. We have work to do while you hunt down Strength and Wisdom. You had better hurry."

The two Soldiers left, but not before Marluxia tossed a cherry blossom at Kairi, who easily caught it before it could land on the floor. She smiled softly, remembering the symbology of the flower.

"What's the file say?" Sora asked, trying to peer over cloud's shoulder for a better look.

"It's a list of the most common Heartless," Cloud said. "And the current Soldiers they know about." He frowned. "Strength is on here. So is Wisdom." He slid the paper out of the folder for a better look. "Elena Hawkeye, currently attending Destiny Island High School. And Zexion Shade, currently attending East Destiny Community College. It looks like you were right, Demyx." He nodded at the water-loving boy and then looked at his blond brother. "Roxas, have you talked to Elena yet?"

Roxas nodded. "I did, but not about her being Strength Soldier. We have a class project to work on together. It shouldn't be too hard to bring it up in conversation."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "We'll see. Demyx, Riku, it's up to you two to talk to Zexion about this." He walked back over to the computer and sat down. Then he pulled up a document and began typing up the file.

Selphie got up and stretched. "Well, if that's it for the meeting then I'm gonna head home. I've got tons of stuff to do." She yawned and casually checked her watch before leaving the room.

Olette and Naminé gathered their things and chased after her, with Riku and Sora close behind.

"Where are they headed off to in such a hurry?" Demyx wondered out loud as he got to his feet.

"A study group," Kairi effortlessly lied.

"Then why is Riku with them?" Demyx asked.

"Because Sora's there. And maybe he's going to help them out or something." Kairi shrugged.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure he'd be a _huge _help. Are you two busy or can you hang out?"

Demyx shook his head. "I've gotta get home. I promised my dad I'd give the dogs a bath. It'll take a while to calm them down once I turn the hose on. Better make plans without me."

Roxas nodded in understanding and looked to Kairi, who sighed.

"This has something to do with Axel, doesn't it?"

"Yup. But we're going to have some fun too," Roxas said. "We're meeting up at that ice cream shop."

Kairi crossed her arms over her chest. "I refuse to be the third wheel."

"You won't," Roxas promised. "We're meeting a few people there. We won't get to talk to Axel until later. I'll buy if you don't have the money."

"Okay," Kairi gave in. "But I'll pay you back when I do have money."

"There's a new game coming out on my birthday," Roxas hinted.

Demyx snickered.

"We'll see," Kairi told him. "This had better be some damn good ice cream."

"It's the next one in my favorite series…" Roxas said wistfully.

"_Damn _good ice cream."

* * *

Kairi glared over the table at Roxas, who was happily sandwiched between Axel and Zack. Meanwhile, she was stuck between Yuffie and Aerith. She had a strawberry hot fudge sundae in front of her that was only partially eaten.

If looks could kill, Roxas would be dead two times over.

Aerith giggled. "Zack, you've got whipped cream on your nose."

Zack grinned and leaned forward, a playful look in his bright blue eyes. "Really?" He swatted at his nose, completely missing it. "Did I get it?"

Aerith giggled again and shook her head. "Nuh-uh, it's still there."

Zack tried on the other side of his nose, again completely missing. "How about now?"

"Nope." Aerith leaned forward and gently wiped it away. "There you go."

Kairi looked away as they shared a chaste kiss over the table. Axel and Roxas were too busy fighting with spoons as they battled over who would get the first taste of the other's icy treat. Of course _they_ wouldn't be bothered by the lovey-dovey-ness of the pair.

Not that Kairi didn't find the two to be the absolute most perfect couple she had ever come across, even if they did fight over stupid things. She just felt uncomfortable watching them make-out and cuddle. Sometimes she wished they would save it for when they weren't out in public.

"Hey," Yuffie nudged Kairi. "Your ice cream is melting."

Kairi blinked and looked down at her dessert. "Oh. Yeah." She poked at it for a moment, stirring up the strawberry ice cream with the chocolate fudge. She lifted up her spoon and took a small bite before setting it back down.

'_I feel like I'm on some weird group date or something.' _

She looked to her left to see that Zack and Aerith were sitting back and talking about the flower shop Aerith was co-owner of.

"Damn it, Axel!" Roxas yelped in surprise, swinging his leg to accidentally kick Kairi in the shin.

Kairi pulled her leg back with a moaned "ow" and reached down to rub at the spot he hit.

"Sorry!" Roxas hastily apologized. He glared at Axel and punched him in the shoulder. "I told you not to grope me in public anymore!"

"Oh, c'mon, Rox. No one was looking," Axel said in a joking tone. "Relax."

Roxas scowled. "It doesn't matter if no one's looking. I asked you not to do it, so don't."

Axel dropped his joking tone. "Okay. I'm sorry. I won't do it again." He grinned suddenly and swiped the last spoonful of Roxas's ice cream. He held it out of Roxas's reach for a moment before triumphantly eating it.

While he was distracted, Roxas swiped a spoonful of Axel's ice cream. "Jerk," he muttered before shoving the spoon in his mouth.

Axel grinned and ruffled Roxas's hair. "You know I only find you cuter when you're angry."

Kairi rolled her eyes. _'Why are my brothers so weird?'_

Roxas swatted away Axel's hand, a pink tint spreading across his face. "C-cut that out! I'm going to get more ice cream. Move."

Axel leaned back and grinned as Roxas crawled over his lap. It slid right off his face when Roxas elbowed him in the gut.

"Still think he's cute when he's angry?" Yuffie asked teasingly.

Axel leaned back with a moan. "_Owww…"_

"You shouldn't have groped him again," Kairi said knowingly, picking up her spoon to scoop up a bite of ice cream.

"I know, but it's _so_ worth it," Axel said, glancing to where Roxas was standing in line.

"You won't be saying that when he kicks you in the balls again."

"He only did that once! And it was an accident!"

"You snuck up behind him and tried to give him a wedgie."

"N--"

"As fascinating as this conversation is," Aerith interrupted. "You might want to keep it down. People are staring."

"That could just be 'cause Axel's lap is on fire," Zack remarked, leaning away from the redhead.

Axel yelped and jumped up, shoving the flaming napkin off his lap. The fire stayed behind on his pants and shirt. He frantically tried to put them out, dancing around wildly, but the flames only grew.

Thinking quickly, Kairi grabbed her drink glass and tossed the contents at the flames, finally putting them out.

Axel stopped flailing around like a madman and looked down at his water-soaked jeans. "…thanks, Kai."

"No problem."

Roxas returned with a sea-salt ice cream bar and raised an eyebrow at Axel. "What did you do?"

"Caught himself on fire. Again," Yuffie said.

"Seems he finally leaned how to light himself on fire without a lighter or matches," Zack said. "Just _'wooosh!' _and he was on fire!"

Roxas exchanged a look with Kairi, who sighed and asked Yuffie to move.

"We'll be right back," Roxas said, taking Axel by the arm. "Don't eat his ice cream, _Zack._"

Zack gave the young Strife his most innocent expression. "Why would I do such a thing?"

"I'll keep an eye on him," Aerith promised. "You three go talk."

Zack looked mournfully at the ice cream and then back at Aerith.

Feeling a little sorry for him, Kairi said: "You can have mine."

Faster than anyone could blink, Zack had Kairi's ice cream in front of him and was happily chowing down. He gave Kairi a thumbs up as a thank you.

Kairi followed Roxas and Axel out of the ice cream shop and over to the fence that blocked the alley.

"We need to talk," Roxas said as he let go of Axel's arm.

Axel looked from Roxas to Kairi and then back again.

"It's about why you keep lighting things on fire," Kairi informed him.

"Really? So tell me, is it because someone's trying to play a joke on me by lighting my stuff on fire? So who is it? Demyx?" Axel asked.

Kairi shook her head. "No. It's you. _You_ keep setting yourself on fire."

Axel blinked in surprise. "I am? But how? I don't even have my lighter with me today!"

"You… haven't been having weird dreams lately?" Kairi asked.

Axel thought for a moment. "No… well, there was that one dream I had where Roxas was all wrapped up in ribbons and--"

Roxas hit him. "Cut that out! You're telling me you haven't had a single dream about fighting horrible monsters?"

"Nope. Just the usual weird dreams," Axel said. "Why? What does me fighting monsters have to do with stuff catching fire?"

"Everything," Kairi and Roxas said in unison.

"It's hard to explain, especially since this is the first time I've had to." Roxas sighed. "Everyone else has already been having dreams. I wonder why you haven't."

"Because Dream Soldier's a fucking asshole," Kairi muttered. "I'm going to _kill _him the next time I see him."

"You and me both," Roxas told her. He sighed and leaned up against the wall. "I don't even know how to start explaining."

"The beginning," Axel suggested.

"If you insist," Roxas said, clearing his throat. "Thousands of years ago, Hollow Bastion wasn't a dead planet. It was a beautiful kingdom ruled by a peaceful King and Queen. It was called Radiant Garden back then."

"I know all of this," Axel said. "College history covers Hollow Bastion's post, though it's weird how not even one book gives a name to the king and queen. All anyone knows is that the Prince's name was Ienzo."

Roxas nodded. "That's true. But I bet none of them say why Radiant Garden fell."

"Well, no, but they give several possibilities. Like a corrupt government or an attack from Balamb or Galbadia."

Kairi growled and clenched her fists. "The King and Queen were not corrupt! They were the kindest, most generous leaders in the history of Radiant Garden!"

"Easy, Kai," Roxas said, holding up a hand. "Those books are wrong, Axel. Balamb and Galbadia would have never attacked Radiant. They were allies. Instead, we were struck from within by horrible creatures developed by our leading scientists."

"Wait, what's this 'we' stuff?" Axel asked. "If you hadn't noticed, this isn't thousands of years ago and you're only eighteen. Are you two feeling alright? Oh, I get it! This is some kind of joke! Well nice try, but you can't fool me that easily!"

"I was around thousands of years ago," Roxas said firmly. "Fortunately for you, I was accidentally reborn instead of being put in cryostasis until it was time to fight again. Otherwise I would be several years older than you by now." He grinned. "It would be an interesting switch."

Axel looked at him for a moment. "….how _much_ older?"

Kairi almost hit Axel for the question, but then caught sight of the contemplative look on Roxas's face.

"Well… I was twenty-three when the Rebirth began and Olette's training began a little over a year ago… and I would have been awake for at least a year before that so I could get to know the islands…. So I would be roughly twenty-five? Maybe twenty-six."

"That's kind of hot."

Kairi hit him for that comment. "Can we focus? We're supposed to be talking about how you're a Knight, not how hot Roxas would be if he was twenty-six."

"I'm a knight? Sweet! So does that mean Roxas is my damsel in distress?" Axel asked.

"No. And you're not a knight in the way you're thinking. It's the term given to non-Soldier's with abilities gifted to them by their planets. Gaia and Radiant had the most Soldiers and Knights. You were one of the Knights from Radiant Garden and Kairi was the leading Soldier."

"_Ooookay…_ that doesn't really tell me anything," Axel said.

"We're protectors of the planets." Kairi dumbed it down for him. "You use fire to fight. Surprise, surprise."

"Oh. So that's why I'm lighting things on fire?"

"Exactly," Kairi said. "I'm surprised you're taking this so well."

"Oh, I'm not," Axel replied. "I'm still thinking this is all some weird joke. April Fools was Wednesday, you know. You're off by two days." He chuckled a moment. "I mean, it's not like I can snap my fingers and-- _whoa_!" He stared in amazement at the flames surrounding his fingers.

"Still think it's just a joke?" Roxas asked.

Axel slowly shook his head, captivated by the flames. "Think I'm startin' to believe ya, yo."

Roxas sighed. "Well, that's a good start."

* * *

Kairi straightened her shirt as she stood on the front step to Naminé's small, one-story house. The blonde had called her earlier to request her help in making goody bags for Demyx's surprise party.

She knocked on the door and only had to wait a few minutes before Naminé answered it and ushered her into the living room, which was littered with different odds and ends. A box containing three completed bags was pushed off to one side.

"Bubbles." Kairi nodded at the design on the bags.

"Selphie had them special ordered," Naminé said. "She's been planning this since Riku's birthday. That's what Sora told me."

Kairi scooted a few bags out of the way and sat down on the floor. "It wouldn't surprise me. So what goes in these bags?"

"One of each," Naminé replied, gesturing to the different piles. "Except the jawbreakers. Each bag gets three of those. And then we tie the bags with blue ribbon. Easy as pie!"

The two girls got to work, silently filling up bags and tying them before placing them in the box. The sound of crinkling plastic filled the air.

Kairi put the bags together slowly, her mind occupied by an earlier conversation down at the ice cream parlor and how every time Yuffie would direct a smile her way her heartbeat sped up. And just because the pretty Wutaian made her blush didn't mean she had a crush on her!

She unknowingly squeezed a bag in her fist in annoyance. _'First it was Sora and now Roxas is trying to hint at it too!' _

"Is there something on your mind?" Naminé asked.

Kairi looked up, her grip on the bag loosening.

Naminé set aside her finished back to give her full attention to the redhead. "You seem distracted."

Kairi hesitated. It felt odd enough just sitting in Naminé's house without any of the other girls around. Did she really want to dump her problems on her new friend? She may have in the past, but that was lifetimes ago.

"We… we used to talk a lot. In the past. Right?" she asked.

Naminé nodded. "We did. You, me, and Ienzo grew up together and the three of us talked all the time."

Kairi was silent for a moment, absent-mindedly playing with a piece of ribbon. "I feel like something isn't right. Like there's something important I'm forgetting."

"Dream Soldier seems to be rather well known for leaving out important little details," Naminé remarked.

Kairi grumbled something about flamboyant men with too much time on their hands.

"Is this about Yuffie?"

Kairi looked at the blonde, her violet eyes widening slightly. "W-what makes you think it's about her?"

Naminé couldn't help but giggle. "Who else could it be? I bet you feel like you shouldn't like her, but you can't help but like her." She smiled at the stunned expression on Kairi's face and reached over to take her hands. "It's normal to be confused. Just listen to your heart. It'll lead you right."

Kairi slowly nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

I know it's been a while since I last posted a chapter, but I hope this makes up for it. This thing is ten pages long (size 11, times new roman) and 5323 words long, not counting this end note. I think that makes it the longest chapter I've written in a very long time. And even if this doesn't make up for the long break between chapters, the fact that I have the next chapter already written out might make up for it.

I'm very happy with Christmas this year. Not only did I get some cool shirts (I'm still amused by the Naruto shirt my aunt, uncle, and cousins got for me) and some Kingdom Hearts stuff (the blanket's so soft!), I also got a Printer/Scanner/Copier! I think I'm happiest with it so far. I posted three pictures I scanned today onto Deviantart. Two of them are from June 2008 and the other is more recent. If you want to check them out then go to my profile page and use the links I have for "Random Chat". I'll put up the actual links later.

Now I have a reason to draw more art for this story! I'll have to go back and do a quick redesign of the girl's clothes. I'm still tweaking them.

That's about all I have to say. I'll post the next chapter before the end of the week! Maybe as a New Years present.


	16. Past 2

**For Love**

_Past 2: Radiant Garden_

She was beginning to get used to the weird things that went on when she was asleep.

Kairi was back in the body of her previous self, watching through her eyes as she went through her daily routine. It seemed her previous self was known for getting up early to train for a while before meeting up with the other Soldiers. The day she was reliving was particularly busy, since the King and Queen were hosting a ball that night. Because of that, she and the other Soldiers were on duty helping people find their way around.

At last the time came for her to relax and mingle with the people in the ballroom, per the Queen's orders. If she had her own way she would be elsewhere.

Lady Heart studied herself in her floor-length mirror as she modeled a pretty, strapless pink dress. She turned around to make sure the back looked okay and then let down her hair from its usual restraints. Her pretty auburn locks fell in soft waves past her shoulders as she combed through it with her fingers.

She stood there for a few seconds longer, fiddling with minute details she found irksome. She didn't see the point of having a ball when there was so much to do. What if an enemy were to attack in the middle of the festivities?

Sighing softly, Heart walked over to her pink vanity, where she finished getting ready. After running her soft brush through her hair a few times, she picked up an ornate, pink heart and used it to pin back half of her bangs. She then applied some pink lipstick and eyeshadow before removing the chain around her forehead that marked her status as a Soldier.

She held onto the edge of the vanity as she slipped her feet into a pair of pink high heels. Once she was sure she could walk in them without falling flat on her face, she picked up her long white gloves and began pulling them on as she left the room.

In the hallway she met up with Lady Peace, who was wearing a short, sleeveless blue dress. The pretty blonde was waiting by her girlfriend's bedroom door for her to finish dressing and get out of the room.

"Go on without us," Peace said, waving Heart along. "I already sent Strength and Passion on their way. Love's having a bad hair day." She rolled her eyes.

Heart stepped forward and rested her hand on Peace's shoulder. "Good luck. Drag her out of that room if you have to."

Peace eyed the closed door. "I might have to."

Heart chuckled as she left for the ballroom. It would take a while, but the two would make it to the party before it was over.

It wasn't long before she was walking down the grand staircase as elegantly as she possibly could while holding onto the rail so tightly her knuckles were turning white. Several heads turned to look at her, but she paid them no attention. She focused her eyes on the huge glass doors and windows on the other side of the room and tried to steady her breathing. It felt odd enough being in high heels, never mind the awkwardness of being in front of a crowd of people without her mask.

She slowed down as she looked away from the doors and windows to see if she could spot her fellow Soldiers. She found the King and Queen gracefully dancing in the center of the floor. The King's hair fell in its usual messy spikes, but the Queen had hers held up higher than usual so that the curls could fall over her shoulders.

Near them Prince Ienzo was dancing with Strength, who looked stunning in her navy blue, off-the-shoulder evening gown. Heart could tell that the Prince wasn't very comfortable dancing with her. The lightning-based Soldier had a good half foot of height on the small, gray-haired male.

She covered her mouth with her hand that wasn't gripping the rail when she spotted Riku trying to teach Sora how to dance, while Axel and Roxas waltzed circles around them.

Off in the distance she spotted Storm and Floral elegantly spinning each other around. On the other side of the room Passion was busy flirting with a group of guys in her short, eye catching yellow dress.

Heart made it to the bottom of the stairs without accidentally tripping and falling down them and gently pushed her way past a beautiful woman with straight blue hair. It wasn't long before she made it to the wall near the Guardians and Axel. She joined Cloud in leaning against the wall, content to watch the festivities.

"No one special to dance with?" he asked.

"You would know it by now if I did," Heart coolly replied.

Cloud moved away from the wall and help out a hand to her, his expression unreadable. "We might as well enjoy the party, yes?"

Heart smiled. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather dance with the lovely Courage Soldier?"

Cloud scowled, but continued to hold out his hand. "I don't want to lead her on."

"It would still be a nice gesture." Heart took his hand and let him lead her into the crowd of dancers.

The two danced a few songs before she was whisked away by a bored Melodious Nocturne and he by a handsome man with long silver hair. Demyx had grown tired of watching Strength and several princesses dance with Ienzo and knew he could count on Heart to distract him. After that she danced with her brother's friend Saïx, a rather odd blue-haired man, as well as several visiting royals before she was finally able to get away for fresh air.

She quietly and quickly slipped out through the glass doors to go rest on the balcony overlooking the east garden. She leaned against the railing with a soft sigh and peered out into the blossoming garden. She could hear the giggling of flighty princesses as charming men led them around and told great tales of their accomplishments.

The doors opened behind her, momentarily increasing the volume of music outside, and then closed again. She ignored what was going on, figuring it was just someone going down to the garden. Instead, the person--a girl--came up beside her to look over the rail. Heart watched her from the corner of her eyes.

The girl was exotic in looks with her short, feathery black hair and almond brown eyes. Her skin was lightly tanned, most likely from long hours spent out in the sun. The only accessory she wore was a simple white rose pinned in her hair, from which a sweet scent emitted. Heart knew from her white and green kimono-style dress that the girl was from a country in Gaia called Wutai.

"Nice night," she said softly.

Heart nodded. "Yeah…"

The two stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes before the Wutaian moved away and tapped Heart on the shoulder.

The redhead turned around, confusion clearly etched across her face.

"Want to dance?" The girl asked.

"Out here?"

"Why not? It's a nice open space and we can hear the music." She spun around once and held out a hand, a smile on her face.

Heart hesitated a moment. "I don't even know your name."

"I'm Yuffie! Princess of Wutai! And you?"

"…Kairi. Lady Kairi of Prince Ienzo's court."

Yuffie smiled and gently took Heart's hand and kissed the back of it.

The redhead felt her heartbeat quicken and a hot blush spread across her cheeks from the simple action. Two thoughts swirled around in her mind, neither strong enough to overpower the other.

'_What is wrong with me?'_

'_What an odd princess…'_

Kairi felt herself jerked out of the body of her past self and was spun around until she was disoriented. When she regained her bearings, she found herself face-to-face with Dream Soldier.

"You!" She hissed, narrowing her eyes.

"Do not rely too heavily on memories of the past or else risk destruction of the future," he said, his voice eerily calm.

"What the hell does that mean?"

Dream Soldier said nothing more and waved his hand, sending Kairi back to the realm of reality.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

I know it's a short chapter, but it wasn't necessary for it to be a huge long one. The next one should be about normal length. All I know for sure is that it'll cover Demyx's birthday party. Hopefully my plans don't change too much while I'm writing it.

I have some rough sketches of their dresses. Let me know if you want to see them and I'll put them up on Deviantart. I also put links on my profile to sketches of the girls in their Soldier forms.


	17. Reality 9

**For Love**

_Reality 9_

Saturday, April 4

Selphie stood on a chair before her handpicked Surprise Party crew, a crown party hat perched on top of her head. Instead of one of her usual dresses, she was wearing jeans and a yellow t-shirt. And she had the most dangerous of all weapons.

A megaphone.

"Okay, everyone! We have three hours to finish decorating the house before Demyx gets here! I need four groups! Irvine, my list!"

Irvine obediently handed over a clipboard.

"The food group will be led by Olette and is comprised of Hayner, Pence, Roxas, and Zell!"

A blond boy with a tribal tattoo down the side of his face pumped a fist into the air with a cry of jubilation.

Selphie flipped through the pages and slid out a sheet to hand to Olette. "It'll be set up like a buffet in the green room. That way people can decide if they want to eat inside or outside. And make sure you go get the cake before noon! And it _has _to be you, Olette. Just tell them your name and that I sent you."

Olette nodded and hurried off to the kitchen with her group.

"Next!" Selphie turned her attention back to the large crowd in front of her. "Axel, Zack, and Sora, it'll be your job to keep Demyx distracted. Just make sure all three of you don't go to him at the same time! Just 'conveniently' bump into each other. Take him to the arcade or something."

Zack saluted her and gave Aerith a kiss on the cheek before leaving with the other two. The three of them practically skipped out the door.

"Irvine, Kairi, and Riku, you three are my errand boys. Get ready!"

Kairi gulped and exchanged a look with Riku, who looked just as worried as to what being errand boy could entail. Irvine didn't look at all worried.

"The rest of you--Yuffie, Naminé, Aerith, Wakka, Tidus, and Lulu--you all are with me to finish decorating!" Selphie hopped down from the chair, megaphone and clipboard in hand. "Lets get to work, people!"

The decorating committee split up to get to work, already knowing what to do.

Selphie caught Kairi's arm before she could try to go hide somewhere. She pulled the redhead off to the side where no one else could hear.

"I need you to go find Zexion," she said, handing over a folded up slip of paper. "And if you see Elena along the way, invite her to join us. Maybe she's remembered already but doesn't know we remember."

Kairi nodded and left, promising to do her very best to get Zexion to the party. Along the way, she wished Riku and Irvine good luck.

"Irvine!" Selphie barked through the megaphone. "Go through the house and collect all the alcohol! I want it locked up in the cabinet in the storage room ASAP! And Riku, your job is to lock up all the bedrooms!"

The two boys set off to do their jobs before Selphie felt the need to repeat herself while shoving them out of the room.

Pleased with her work, Selphie went to go help her decorating crew hang up everything correctly.

* * *

"Guys, why are we at Selphie's house?" Demyx asked, sounding apprehensive.

"She, uh, borrowed my game last week and asked me to come get it," Sora lied, mentally giving himself a pat on the back when his voice came out naturally instead of all squeaky like it normally did when he wasn't telling the truth. He walked up onto the front porch and rang the doorbell, patiently waiting for it to open.

Axel and Zack positioned themselves behind Demyx. The very second the door opened, the two shoved him into the house.

"_SURPRISE!"_

Demyx blinked and looked around once he regained his balance. Loud poppers and ringing noisemakers went off around him and he found himself covered by confetti. Standing in front of everyone was Selphie, with a huge confetti popper in her hands.

"Happy birthday, Demyx!" Axel blew a noisemaker right in his friend's ear.

The tall blond laughed and swatted away the plastic item. "Wow, you guys did all of this for me? But I thought we already celebrated my birthday!"

"That was just the pre-party, silly," Selphie said as she bounded forward to snap a party hat on his head. "Come on! Just wait until you see the table full of presents for you!"

Demyx's eyes lit up. "A whole table? For me?" He was more than happy to follow the girl further into the house as someone turned on the surround sound stereo system, sending music pulsing through the house.

As Axel set off in search of Roxas and Zack in search of Aerith, the doorbell rang. Sora looked around, wondering if anyone else was paying enough attention to answer it and then shrugged and opened the door.

Standing there were two guys. One was a tall blond wearing a long gray overcoat suited for the chilly weather that day. The other was a brunet decked out in leather and a massive amount of belts and buckles. The collar of his short jacket was covered in fur and around his neck was a lion head pendant infused over a cross.

"You must be here for the party!" Sora cheerfully said, opening the door up wider. "Come on in! Demyx is with Selphie in the dining room."

The brunet nodded as he walked inside, the blond following close behind him.

Sora watched them walk away, trying to place the feeling of familiarity. He knew he had never met the two men before, but maybe he'd caught a glimpse of them at the college. Or maybe Demyx or Riku had mentioned them.

He shrugged and shut the door. He'd figure it out later.

"Sora!" Yuffie leapt out of nowhere and attached herself to his arm. "Come on! We're getting ready to start up a game of pin the tail on the donkey!"

Laughing, Sora let himself get dragged away.

* * *

Kairi was down to the last place on the list Selphie gave her. If she didn't find the elusive boy there, she was going to have to return to the house empty handed.

Gazing up at the brick library, she wondered if there was any chance she would find him there. She shook her head and pushed aside the feeling of hopelessness that was overwhelming her. _'I will find him. No matter how long it takes.'_

She strode into the library and began her search on the first floor, checking around each and every shelf as well as the computer area. Then she walked up the stairs, pausing at the top to use the advantage of height to double check the first level. With a sigh, she began walking around the second story shelves, hoping for even a single glimpse.

She found nothing.

She even asked the librarians if they had seen him, giving, in her opinion, a well-detailed description of the boy.

Disappointed, Kairi left the library. "Now what?" she muttered, shoving her hands into the pocket of her long white jacket. She shivered, wishing she was wearing more than a short party dress under it. _'I can't believe this…'_

She could already hear the lecture she would receive from Selphie for failing the only task assigned to her. Granted, it was a difficult one and Kairi would have loved to see someone else do a better job.

Kairi paused before the glass windows of a coffee shop, wondering if she had enough munny to go buy a nice, warm drink. She fingered the coins in her pocket, trying her best to recall how much she had left after her brief shopping trip that morning.

"Just for a minute," she told herself, walking over to the door. She breathed in the warm coffee smell, gratefully unbuttoning her jacket to let the warm air hit her body. She didn't need to look at the list of drinks posted on the wall behind the counter. She already knew what she wanted.

"A white chocolate mocha, please," Kairi told the cashier, handing over exact change. She only had to wait a few minutes before she was handed a cup of piping hot coffee. She happily inhaled the scent of her drink as she turned around and came face to face with none other than Zexion.

The boy's eyes were wide with a mixture of fright and surprise, his entire body trembling. She was sure his instincts were screaming at him to run away.

"Z-Zexion!" Kairi caught his arm before he could flee. "I need to talk to you! It's important!"

Zexion hesitated, turning his head to briefly look back at the table he had been sitting at. The emotions in his eyes clouded over, masking how he was feeling. "Not here."

Kairi's attention was caught by the bulky man with orange-brown hair sitting at the table. The man was huge, taking up nearly half of the small table. His hands alone made his cup of espresso appear even tinier than unusual.

A shiver ran down her spine when the man's blue eyes met hers and she nodded at Zexion. "Sure. Lets go for a walk." She loosened her grip on his wrist and let him lead the way out onto the sidewalk.

The two walked along in silence for a few minutes. Kairi took the time to gently sip at her drink, wincing when the liquid burnt her tongue.

"You shouldn't be near me. It's too dangerous," Zexion said with the air of one commenting on the weather.

Kairi tightened her grip. "I've been in weirder and more dangerous situations than you would believe. Whatever's going on with you is child's play."

Zexion easily broke free of her grasp and stopped walking.

Kairi took a few more steps before she stopped as well and turned around to face him.

"You don't know. You have no idea," he said, his voice dangerously low but rising in pitch with every word. "You have no idea what I've been through! What I've done! And if you did you wouldn't be here with me right now! You'd want to stay as far away from me as possible to protect yourself, just like I've been trying to do!"

Several people stopped to watch, expecting it to be some sort of public lovers quarrel.

"Why are you so interested in me?! You don't know me!" He clenched his fists at his sides. "Tell me why!"

"Because you're hurting Demyx."

Zexion sharply inhaled, his eyes going wide for a second time that afternoon. "W-what?"

Kairi took a step forward. "I have never seen Demyx connect with someone the way he connected with you. And I've _never _seen him as hurt or lost as the day he told me you were avoiding him. The look in his eyes…" She swallowed and shook her head, hardening her gaze as she met Zexion's eyes. "I would do anything for him. And if that means I have to force you to come with me to see him, then I'll do just that."

Zexion chuckled wryly and looked away, breaking the connection between them. "You would."

Kairi held her head up high, hoping her next few words would work. "As leader of the Inner Ring of Soldier's, I command you to return with me to meet up with the others." It was a dirty trick, trying to pull rank on him, but it'd be worth it if it worked.

Zexion flinched and Kairi knew she had won. "I cannot refuse a direct order. May I ask why?"

"It's Demyx's birthday party."

* * *

Back at the party, the house had erupted into chaos as strange creatures began to attack, their dark claws slashing through the air. Somewhere amidst the noise, Naminé found Demyx and together the two were able to access the situation.

"Heartless?" Naminé questioned, sounding out of breath.

"Never seen these before," Demyx replied, lifting up a busted lamp pole and swinging it at an approaching dog-like creature. "Where are the others?"

"Away!" Naminé reached up to her simple stud earrings, which suddenly shimmered into a pair of dangling white snowflakes. "It's time to act! _PEACE!"_

Blue energy exploded around her, obscuring her body as her clothes melted away and were replaced by a collared white dress. A pale blue tie wound itself around her neck and was clipped in place by a snowflake brooch. A matching blue belt wrapped around her waist and was held together by a snowflake buckle. Blue light flooded her feet, forming powder blue sandals with small silver stars along the ankle strap. Last her hair shortened to her ears as a blue gem on a chain sparkled to life along her forehead and a snowflake patterned mask covered her eyes.

"_Glacial Surge!"_ The Heartless in the room were immediately encased in blocks of ice, which shattered into nonexistence as Peace Soldier ran from the room.

"I guess that means me too," Demyx muttered. He closed his eyes and held out his hands as water began swirling around his body in fast moving tendrils before collapsing on him. Seconds later the water pooled into spheres around both of his hands, revealing Demyx in his Knight uniform.

His body was swathed in a shimmering blue, short-sleeved coat that reached down past his knees. Underneath of it was a black turtleneck, which clung to his upper body like a second skin. His pants and boots were also black. Leather fingerless gloves covered each hand with bright blue fishnet covering up to his elbows. His thin mask was blue.

Melodious Nocturne grinned and focused the water into the familiar shape of a sitar--his favorite musical instrument. He charged into the room after Peace Soldier, strumming up his water clones to help fight. _"Dance, water! Dance!"_

Together the two beat back the Heartless until there were only strange blue ones flying around the room and crashing into walls. The ice-based creatures seemed to absorb their attacks rather than be bothered by them.

Peace skidded backwards after one shot an orb of ice at her. "We've got to do something about this!"

"I don't know why the others aren't here yet!" Nocturne said, looking around at the crowd of frightened party-goers. They had all come to the house for him, for his birthday, and then something like that had to happen! "Damn it, Pyro! You had better not be molesting your boyfriend in the closet again!" He angrily shouted as he knocked away a block of ice with his sitar.

"_Twilight Beam!"_ A golden beam of light shot across the room and pierced through the body of one of the blue Heartless.

Love Soldier ran into the room and stopped behind them, looking frazzled. "These things are everywhere and I can't find any of the others!"

"We haven't seen them either," Melodious Nocturne said. "And our attacks aren't doing anything to these guys! They keep absorbing it!"

Love nodded. "Okay. I'll take care of it!" Orange light blazed to life around her right hand, but before she could use it, bolts of lightning crashed into the remaining five Heartless, sending them fizzling away into the darkness.

A Soldier with uneven short blonde hair strode into the room. Her white, collared shirt was longer than the other girls' and covered the top half of her navy blue skirt. As a result, her belt was wrapped around the outside of her shirt and was held in place by a round, green buckle that had yellow streaks of lightning cracking through it. A matching brooch clipped her navy blue tie in place. Her long gloves matched the color of her skirt and tie and reached all the way up to her elbows. Sturdy black combat boots covered her feet and a thin navy blue mask covered her brown eyes. Around her forehead was a green jewel on a chain.

"Strength?" Love questioned.

The Soldier nodded. "I am. I'm surprised it's taken us this long to talk. Things must not be as serious as I thought."

Nocturne shook his head. "No, they are."

"It's not an easy topic to bring up," Peace said. "The Guardian's want us to do this as carefully as possible."

"Understandable," Strength said, looking around the room at the terrified faces. "Let's take this somewhere else."

Wide, bright blue eyes watched as the four warriors left the room. _'Heart…less…?'_

* * *

Kairi and Zexion arrived at Selphie's house to complete and utter pandemonium. People were screaming as they ran out of the house, shoving past each other and not paying attention to where they were going. Some were even crawling out of windows in their haste to leave.

Kairi was about to run inside to see what was happening when four figures calmly emerged from the house, looking perplexed by the panicking people.

Squinting, the redhead recognized them as Naminé, Demyx, Olette, and the new girl, Elena. She pulled Zexion over to them, ignoring the way he squirmed uncomfortably.

Demyx's eyes went wide the second he spotted who Kairi was pulling along. "Zexion…!"

"Later," Kairi told Demyx before addressing all of them. "What's going on?"

Olette glanced at Zexion, most likely wondering if he had his memories back or not. "We were attacked by strange creatures," she cautiously explained. "But they're gone now. Some people came and fought them away so the house is completely safe again."

Kairi nodded her thanks, frowning when she noticed who wasn't with them. "Where's Selphie and the others?"

None of them had the answer to that question, so Kairi sighed and decided to take control. "We'll tell Selphie what happened when she gets back. In the meantime, I'm calling an emergency meeting. Naminé, I need you to contact Cloud and tell him to come over here. Demyx, find Roxas and Axel. Olette, find Riku and Sora. We'll meet up in Selphie's room."

"But Irvine locked up all the doors," Naminé pointed out.

"I'll take care of that," Kairi said.

Zexion shifted his weight onto his right foot, looking around as though terrified something was going to leap out and attack him.

"What about Yuffie?" Demyx asked.

"Get her too," Kairi said, reaching over and taking Zexion's hand. "Elena, you and Zexion are going to come with me. I need to talk to you about something."

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Poor Demyx. His birthday party was ruined by those awful Heartless. His actual birthday for this story is April 1st, by the way. They didn't have time to actually have the party until the weekend. That's pretty normal.

And yeah, this chapter is more like "Demyx's Birthday Party, Part 1" than it is the whole thing. If I hadn't done this, then the next chapter would have been really, really short. This one's about normal. Things should really start to pick up after this chapter. Or maybe it was during this chapter. This story still has a ways to go before it's finished.


	18. Reality 10

**For Love**

_Reality 10_

Saturday, April 4

Despite the dark, tense atmosphere inside, the house itself was brightly lit thanks to the glass wall that overlooked the sunny beach. The walls were painted in pastel blues and greens, with the paneling done in a sandy color. The floors were hardwood and all furniture was the same color as the paneling.

A young woman sat at a round wooden table in front of the glass wall and stared down into the depths of her coffee mug. A soft sigh escaped past her pink lips, the simple action causing her straight blue hair to shift ever so slightly.

Footsteps approached her, but she didn't look up. Even as a shirtless man walked into the room, toweling his brown hair dry, she didn't as much as twitch.

"Do you think we'll find him?" She asked in a soft voice.

The man draped the towel around his neck and walked over to her. Gently resting his hand on hers, he said: "Aqua, we will find him. I promise."

Aqua looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with sadness. "I hope you're right, Terra…"

* * *

Selphie narrowed her eyes at the two unfamiliar men who had followed her outside to the trash cans. A breeze ruffled her curled hair and teased her flouncy blue and yellow dress. "Who are you?" She demanded.

The tall, intimidating blond stepped forward, his green eyes betraying an inner softness. "We need your help."

"I'm not helping anyone I don't know," Selphie snapped, taking a step back. Her hand sought put her transformation device, a simple red-and-yellow charm bracelet secured around her left wrist.

The brown-haired man held out a hand to halt his companion's progression forward. "My name is Squall and this is Seifer. We've come from Balamb to find you, Selphie."

"Balamb?" Selphie repeated curiously. "Why do you want me? I've never been to Balamb."

"Our home is currently under siege by a terrible sorceress," Squall explained. "The number of fighters dwindles by the day and we've already lost the Galbadian forces we were working with."

"Ourselves included, there are only four Soldiers' left to fight that bitch," Seifer said, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's why we need you."

"I'm sorry," Selphie apologized, turning to go back inside. "I can't help you. I'm needed here."

Seifer ignored Squall's command to let her go and charged forward to block her path. "Do you think she'll stop with Galbadia and Balamb?! If you don't do something, Trabia will be next! And after that she'll go after the rest of the worlds! And with every world that bitch overtakes, the stronger she gets. Do you _really _think you'll be able to stop her them?!" he demanded.

Selphie's eyes were wide as she looked up at him. A part of her mind recognized the undiluted fury in those jade eyes. "S-she'll go after Trabia? But why?"

Squall walked up behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder and was surprised when she didn't flinch away from him. "She sees it as a symbol of power. And she wants to erase any chance of someone rising up against her. If she can take over every world, there's less of a chance that that will happen." He walked past her to stand by Seifer's side. "Just think about it. We'll be at the beach tomorrow afternoon before we leave."

Seifer nodded at her and then walked away with Squall, vanishing around the corner.

Selphie silently watched them leave. _'Brave Soldier…. Fire Cross…'_

_

* * *

_

Selphie walked back inside after her talk with the two men, her brain buzzing with worry and fear. Because of that, it took her a few minutes to realize that her house was suddenly devoid of people and that it looked like a herd of animals had stampeded through the rooms.

"Guys?" She called out. She quickly moved through the rooms, taking in the damage, until she came to the living room where the largest crowd of people had been. The only ones there when she walked in were the frazzled members of her decorating committee, minus a few people.

"Oh my gosh, what happened?" She asked, stepping over a shattered picture frame. Her green eyes roved around the room, trying to access the damage. It didn't look like anything too expensive was busted up. The television and surround sound looked to be in as good shape as ever and if one of the wires was snapped she knew several people who could fix it.

"Selphie!" Tidus practically leaped over the couch in his haste to get to her. "You'll never believe what just happened! There were these weird monsters that came out of nowhere and started attacking people! But then this ninja girl showed up and totally beat those things up! It was awesome!"

"It was not!" Wakka interjected, shoving Tidus. "Man, that was terrifying!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

Selphie decided it was best to ignore them and looked to Irvine for information. "Where's everyone else?"

"A bunch of people left," Irvine explained. "But Kairi dragged a couple people up to your room. She said there was something important they need to talk about."

Selphie nodded her thanks and was about to go talk to Kairi and the others when the front door opened. Everyone froze in place, praying that it wasn't Selphie's parent's returning home a day early.

To their relief, it was Cloud who walked through the door.

"They're upstairs," Selphie said, gesturing for him to follow. Before she left the room, she looked back at the others and promised she and the others would be back down soon to help clean up.

Upstairs, she found her fellow Soldiers, three Knights, and…

"Zexion!" She gasped. "You're here!"

Zexion glanced sidelong at Kairi, who was right beside him to make sure he wouldn't try to escape. Demyx was on his other side, looking unusually anxious as he twisted his fingers in the hem of his shirt.

"What happened?" Cloud asked the assembled group.

"Heartless," Elena said simply.

It turned out that was all that was needed to be said as Cloud nodded in understanding and didn't ask for more details. "Why call me here? This could have waited."

"Actually," Selphie nervously began. "It's probably a good thing you're here. I… I have something to tell you guys."

Everyone's attention shifted to the little brunette, who actually shirked back at the sudden attention.

"I, um… I met Brave Soldier and Fire Cross. They followed me when I was taking the trash outside." She lowered her gaze to the floor, not wanting to see the range of expressions on the faces of her friends. "They want me to go back to Balamb with them to fight a sorceress. She's already taken over Galbadia and if she gets through Balamb then she'll be after Trabia next. I _can't _let her take my home."

"You're going to help them fight?" Naminé asked. "But when? We've still got school and you don't know how long you'll be gone!"

"I don't even know if I'm going yet. I mean, I could wait until school's over. There's only about a month or so left, right?" Selphie said. "I'll figure out something."

"You should go help them," Axel spoke up, surprising everyone.

Selphie looked up at him in bewilderment. "W-what?"

"You're like me, Selphie. If you don't go, then you'll end up regretting it, especially if Balamb falls. Besides, they've got schools on Balamb. Even if it's technically a middle school you'll still be able to finish high school. And if you go and help them out, then Brave and Fire Cross will owe you and they might come over here to help fight. That means we'll have two more powerful fighters on our side."

The others looked at Axel in shock, surprised that he could come up with something that made so much sense.

"I'm still thinking about it, guys," Selphie said. "And really, how can I leave you when you need me here?" She shook her head. "I'm staying."

"No," Kairi said. "We can handle things here. We have ten fighters already and we're finding more by the day. In just three days we've added you, Demyx, Axel, Elena, _and _Zexion to our ranks. If we really need you then I can call your cell phone."

Selphie looked around at her friends, old and new. She was surprised that they were so willing to let her go off and fight in a war that threatened her homeland. Tears sprang to her eyes as she ran forward and threw her arms around Kairi. "I love you guys!" she sobbed.

Kairi patted her on the back, unsure of what else she should do.

Once Selphie calmed down and hugged everyone in the room, even Elena and Zexion, they trooped downstairs to help clean up the aftermath of the fighting.

"Alright, people! Let's get organized into teams!" Selphie said as she entered the living room. "I want Wakka, Lulu, Tidus, and Olette in the kitchen and green room! Zack, Cloud, and Aerith, go check the gift room. Make sure it isn't too busted up. Then head outside to check on the tables."

Cloud raised an eyebrow at being told to help clean up a party he wasn't a part of, but followed Zack and Aerith without complaint.

"Zell, you're with me, Elena, Irvine, Roxas, and Axel and we'll be in the game room and taking care of the hallways. The rest of you can stay here and clean up this room. It looks like it's the worst."

"Just wait until she sees the game room," Demyx muttered.

Naminé giggled, remembering the lamp pole he used to beat back Heartless.

And so the race against time to get the house clean began.

* * *

Selphie pushed the last of her friends out of the house with a relieved sigh. It had taken them until after sundown, but the house was once again spotless. If it weren't for the bent lamp pole and a couple cracked picture frames--things she would easily be able to explain away as getting broken thanks to her clumsiness--there was no sign that anything had gone wrong. If she hadn't seen the mess herself, she would think that she hadn't been in the room at all the entire time her parents were away.

"Maybe it's a little _too_ clean," she said to herself. She hesitated a moment and then picked up a couch pillow and dropped it on the floor. "That's better!"

Selphie looked around the room with a pleased smile. _'Now what? I guess… I could start packing… make arrangements to transfer to B-Garden.'_

_

* * *

_

Aqua stood on the beach, letting the waves wash over her bare feet. Being near the ocean always calmed her down. She could remember being a child and looking out over the vast expanse of water and only feeling peacefully relaxed. It was only when the wind picked up, sending towering waves slamming into the beach while dark clouds hung overhead, that she felt any apprehension.

"Aqua."

The blue-haired girl didn't move as Terra wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"You're not losing hope, are you?" He questioned.

Aqua was silent.

"We'll find him. We're connected, remember? The three of us will always find out way back to each other, one way or another," Terra said comfortingly.

Aqua closed her eyes and leaned back into his embrace. "I know. I can't help but worry about him. And you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. I lost you once before… I couldn't bear for it to happen again."

Terra held her tight and shut his eyes, breathing in her gentle scent. "I won't let that happen again," he whispered.

A wave crashed at their feet as the sun dipped below the horizon.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

And so four new characters enter the story. Believe it or not, Aqua and Terra were two of the characters I knew I wanted to put in here when I first started the story. Squall and Seifer were not, only because I didn't know what sort of role they could play. But now I have everything worked out and they have a role to play!

I think it's fairly obvious who Terra and Aqua are looking for. Unless you don't know anything about Birth By Sleep. That's okay though, since I don't know enough to spoil anything. If only I had a PSP, then I could play BBS when it comes out. My birthday is this month, though, so here's to hoping!

_Next chapter_: Reality 11 - Sunday, April 12

Two new Soldier's appear. Kairi spends some time with Yuffie. Cloud tries to hack the old database again.


	19. Reality 11

**For Love**

_Reality 11_

Sunday, April 5

Backpack in hand, Selphie easily navigated the streets of Destiny Island, heading towards the beach where she would meet up with Squall and Seifer. She paused at the crest of a sandy hill when she saw the two men standing near the edge of the water.

The sight sparked the memory of a time when she worked closely with the two Balamb warriors. It was during a time of peace, so they spent most of their time training and talking at one of the many beaches.

Selphie closed her eyes, able to picture how they used to be so easily. There were more of them back then and Squall and Seifer spent the majority of their time arguing over petty things. She could remember hanging out with a pretty woman with dark brown hair and a stern-looking blonde who was more amicable than she appeared. There were others, though she couldn't recall what they looked like.

She opened her eyes to find both of them looking up at her. Nodding to them she began her descent down the hill.

'_I won't let my home fall.'_

_

* * *

_

Sunday, April 12

"_Blizzard Fury!"_

"_Twilight Beam!"_

_The two attacks slammed into the large Heartless as it gave a loud screech and jumped back into the air. It spread its wings and flew just out of reach of the Soldiers and Knights frantically trying to stop it._

"_It's too fast!" Nocturne shouted._

"_Then we'll have to be faster!" Strength replied, clapping her hands together. Sparks flew around her body, gathering in her palms as she pulled them apart. __**"Aerospark!"**__ She launched the bolts of lighting into the air and yelled out triumphantly when they collided with the flying monster. Her cry turned to one of shock and pain as the creature shot the attack back at her._

"_Okay, lightning is out!" Heart yelled. "Anyone else have a plan?"_

_Dancing Flames stepped forward in his leather clothes with a grin. "I'll take it! __**Fire!**__" He threw several balls of fire at the flying Heartless, but the attack didn't do much damage. _

_The dragon-like monster circled around them and then swooped down, clanging symbols together. _

_The fighters yelled in surprise and dove out of the way as sound waved dented in the pavement._

"_**Aqua Splash!"**_

_A torrent of water shot out of nowhere and sent the Heartless crashing into the ground on its back. It gave a loud screech before a second attack hit._

"_**Earthquake!"**_

_The ground beneath the Heartless began the shake and then broke apart. Slowly, the creature sank down and then the crack broke wide open, sending it plummeting into the depths of the earth. A large heart drifted up towards the sky and vanished as the ground closed back up. _

_Heart and the others looked around for their rescuers. The redhead spotted two figures lurking in an ally, but they vanished before she could get a better look or thank them._

"_Who…?"_

_

* * *

_

Kairi sat at a dimly lit table in a bar on the poor side of town, stirring a pink fruit drink as she stared at nothing. _'Who were those two? Are they Soldiers like us? Or are they Knights? And why didn't they say anything?'_

"Hey! You made it!"

She looked up to see Yuffie shouldering her way through a crowd of people. A blush rose to her cheeks when she saw what the Wutaian girl was wearing. Her long, muscular legs were bare for all to see down to her black and white converse sneakers. Her tan shorts were shorter than anything Kairi would ever dare to wear and her purple shirt rose up above her belly button.

"Hi, Yuffie," Kairi shyly greeted, feeling overdressed in her pink zippered dress.

"I'm glad you found this place alright. I know it's tucked out of the way, but they've got good food and drinks here," Yuffie said as she took a seat across from the redhead.

It was in a place Kairi usually wouldn't be in, mainly because it was on the poor section of Destiny Island. After spending part of her childhood in the slums, she tried to avoid going anywhere near the area.

"Denzel!" Yuffie waved down a young teenager with messy red hair. "Hey! Hey, Lockheart!"

The boy made his way over to them with his pencil and a pad of paper. "Hello again, Yuffie. What can I get for you? The usual?"

Yuffie nodded. "Yup! And tell Tifa I say 'hi'!"

"Okay," Denzel nodded before looking to Kairi. "Would you like anything else? A refill maybe?"

"No thanks," Kairi said.

Denzel hurried away to fill Yuffie's order, stopping by another table along the way.

"Denzel?" Kairi tested the name questioningly, wondering why it sounded so familiar.

"His mom owns the place," Yuffie explained. "She works as a school teacher doing the week and this place operates as a bar at night. Weekends are a little different, so that's why I asked you to meet me here."

"His mom?" Kairi frowned. "Wait, you can't mean Tifa Lockheart? As in the high school teacher? But she's so young! I didn't even know she was married!"

"She's not. He's adopted." Yuffie beamed when Denzel returned with a fizzling red drink. "Ooo, looks yummy. Thanks, Denz!"

"Anytime, Yuffie," Denzel said before he went on his way.

Yuffie settled back in her chair and happily sipped at her favorite drink. Her brown eyes scanned the room, taking in the other bar patrons, before coming to rest on Kairi. "I'm really surprised you agreed to meet me here."

"You said it was urgent."

Yuffie set her drink down with a laugh. "That's right! I did say that, didn't I? It must have slipped my mind."

Kairi frowned and stopped stirring her drink. "Actually, I want to talk to you about something."

"Then it's a good thing you agreed to see me. What's on your mind?"

Kairi felt envious of the other girl's calm exterior. She was surprised she wasn't trembling yet. "What were we in the past?"

Yuffie looked a little confused. "What do you mean?"

"Our relationship. It's just that I remember hating you as Heart Soldier. Or rather, she hated White Rose Knight. But when we're like this--when we're just Kairi and Yuffie--I feel… different."

"Different how?" Yuffie asked curiously.

Kairi shrugged, unsure of how to put it in words. "I dunno. I guess I just feel happier but sort of nervous at the same time. It's weird."

A soft smile spread across Yuffie's face. "So that's what it is." She sat back, content with the answer. "I can't help you give name to the feeling though. You have to figure it out on your own."

"Figures," Kairi muttered in disappointment.

"Sooo…" Yuffie took another sip of her drink. "What do you think about those two new fighters? Are they Soldiers?"

"None that I recognize," Kairi admitted. "Cloud's working on hacking the system again today, but without Selphie and with Zexion's lack of memory it's probably not going well."

"Most likely not, but at least he's talking to us again. But what if they're not Soldiers from the past? They could be brand new. They might have come up while we weren't around."

Kairi took a long sip of her drink. "It's possible. We won't know anything for sure until we get a better look at them and what they're capable of."

An uneasy but peaceful silence fell around them for a few minutes. Something wasn't quite right, but neither of them knew what.

"How are Soldiers born…?" Yuffie mused.

Kairi had no answer. It wasn't a question she had ever thought to ask.

Suddenly the theme to the Saturday morning cartoon show about chocobo's began to play and Yuffie fumbled through her pockets before retrieving a bright green cell phone. "Hey, Cloud!" Her cheerful expression soon fell and was replaced by a serious one. "We're on our way," she said before hanging up. She slipped her phone back in her pocket and looked at Kairi. "There's a Dark One at the beach."

"A Dark One?" Kairi repeated in surprise. "An actual Dark One? Not a Heartless?"

Yuffie nodded as she searched the room for Denzel so they could pay for their drinks. "Hey, Denzel!"

The redhead nodded and set down a tray of drinks at a table he was serving. He unloaded it and then walked over to the two girls. "What can I get you?"

"We need to pay. Something came up and we need to go," Yuffie explained as she stood up.

"Just go," Denzel said, reaching for the drinks. "I'll make a note of it and you two can pay later. Just don't tell Tifa I'm doing this."

Yuffie smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks. I owe you."

As a bright blush covered Denzel's face, she grabbed Kairi's hand and all but dragged her out of the bar. Along the way they passed by two pretty brunettes, one Kairi recognized as her teacher, Tifa Lockheart. The other wore a sleeveless blue duster and had her hair pulled up in a ponytail.

Yuffie gave a quick greeting as they breezed past, not daring to stop and say more lest she get involved in a full-length conversation.

Tifa didn't seem too concerned, even moving aside to let the two girls by. It was just one of the peculiarities of being friends with Yuffie.

* * *

"_Omnislash!" _Cloud swung his massive sword down upon the head of the ocean-based Dark One, easily cleaving it in two. He gave a curse when it mended itself before his eyes and swung a long arm at him. He blocked with the broadside of his sword and went flying back to land on his feet in the wet sand. Readjusting his grip, he searched his mind for the best way to defeat the monster.

"_Heavenly Ribbon!"_

"_Hiiii-ya!"_

A pink ribbon of energy shot forward to wrap around the creature as a large, four-pointed shuriken spun through the air and slashed right through the watery body, emerging on the other side.

Heart Soldier landed beside Cloud in her pink-and-white schoolgirl uniform, a ribbon of pink floating around her shoulders like an ethereal shawl.

White Rose Knight briefly set food on the sand before leaping back in the air to catch her weapon. Her Wutaian-based uniform allowed her to easily move, with her short kimono-style dress with sleeves ending at her shoulders. She wore a pair of shorts beneath it so she could perform her acrobatic maneuvers in mid-air without worry. Her black boots came up to her knees and on one arm she wore a fishnet sleeve up to her elbows with a single brown glove covering her hand. On the other hand was just a plain brown glove to match the other. Her mask was white, provided a stark contrast to her black hair and headband.

"Geez, what's with this thing?" She asked as she landed on Cloud's other side. "How are we supposed to beat it?"

"I don't know," Cloud said, sounding frustrated. "Physical attacks aren't working."

"I can see that! It doesn't help our situation, Cloud!" Yuffie said.

Heart growled in annoyance and fervently hoped Cloud had contacted the others. "We'll just have to keep it busy until the others get here. Let's go!" She leapt into the fray, determined to keep the Dark One from entering the town.

White Rose Knight and Cloud exchanged glances before joining her, thinking it a lost cause. They were proven right mere minutes later when the creature unleashed a wave of water and seaweed, tangling the three warriors together.

"Damn," Heart cursed, trying to wiggle free.

Cloud tried to extract one arm to reach for his blade, First Tsurugi.

"Okay, this _really_ sucks," White Rose grumbled. "You did call the others, right?"

"Yes," Cloud replied. He continued shifting his one arm when he felt something loosen. Just a little more and he'd have it free.

"_Slashing Storm!"_

"_Glacial Surge!"_

The lightning struck first, stopping the Dark One in its tracks. The electrical current sparked all over the creature's body just before its legs were frozen to the sand.

Peace and Strength ran over to their tied up comrades and cut them free.

"We need a stronger ice attack," Cloud noted, retrieving his blade. "Can you do it?"

Peace Soldier nodded. "Yeah. It'll take time."

"We'll distract it," Strength said, gathering her power for another strike. _"Thunder!"_

The Dark One fell over as one frozen limb broke free and was unable to be replaced in time. The lightning prevented it from doing much more than jerking around.

With the monster immobilized, Peace too the opportunity to perform her ultimate attack. She drew her hands up to her chest and closed her eyes. The temperature around her dropped dramatically. Snowflakes began dancing around her white the wet sand at her feet froze over.

Her icy blue eyes opened, focusing immediately on the watery creature before her. Hr breath rose in tiny puffs as she softly breathed the name of her attack: _"Diamond Dust."_

There was a loud cracking noise as the monster froze over. And then it was still.

Cloud lifted his blade to perform one final _Omnislash _to chop the creature into tiny pieces, paying extra attention to the blue gem that gave it life. He easily snapped it in half with the weight of his blade and then stooped to pick up the pieces for further analysis.

"So that was an actual Dark One," White Rose Knight remarked.

"But where's the person controlling it?" Peace asked.

Not even Cloud could answer the question, even after a quick search of the area for any suspicious characters.

"Let's go back," Heart suggested. "We need to at least figure out a plan to beat any more of these things that appear. We won't get that done here."

Cloud slipped the stone into his pocket and sent his sword back to the dimension he summoned it from. "Agreed."

* * *

End Chapter


	20. Reality 12

**For Love**

_Reality 12_

Tuesday, April 21

"Kairi! Pssst, Kai!" Sora threw a pencil at the back of his friend's head.

Kairi turned around and shot a glare at him. They only had a month and a half of school left and it was not the time for her to get distracted from her work.

"What?" She growled.

"We've got another new student," Sora happily said. "What do you think the chances are that he's another Soldier?"

Kairi rolled her eyes and turned back around. "It's called 'Study Hall' for a reason, Sora."

"Oh, come on, Kairi! We can talk a little!" Sora said. "Besides, there's something really familiar about this kid. I'm serious!"

"_Later_, Sora!" Kairi said warningly, trying to focus on her Calculus homework.

"He looks exactly like Roxas!"

Kairi froze, the tip of her pencil poised above the paper. Slowly, she turned around. She couldn't ignore him after a remark like that. "What do you mean? How so?"

"I mistook him for Roxas earlier," Sora said without a hint of embarrassment. He lowered his voice and looked down at his notebook when the teacher glanced in his direction. A second later he was right back to talking. "Same hair, same height, and similar taste in clothes. If I weren't Roxas's twin, I'd swear the new guy is his twin! It's _weird!"_

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation."

Sora glanced around to check and see if anyone was listening in. Then he leaned closer to Kairi. "Yeah. Roxas had a _clone._"

Kairi flicked her pencil back and nailed Sora right in the middle of his forehead. "Don't be dumb."

Sora rubbed his forehead while the redhead withdrew a new pencil from her bag and went back to working on her homework.

"Kairi, this is serious!" He whispered. "What if it's some new plot devised by the enemy? They could be making clones of us!"

"I'll never understand how you can say things that sound so smart but are actually really dumb," Kairi said. "Can we talk about this later at lunch? Then we'll have everyone together and we can call Cloud."

Sora reluctantly gave in. "Okay…" He sighed and picked up his friend's discarded pencil. "I wish Selphie was here…"

* * *

Lunchtime soon arrived and the group of fighters went out to their new usual place outside in the courtyard. Despite the bright sun shining down, there weren't very many students milling about and they were able to sit under the old oak tree. They arranged themselves in their usual circle. Naminé was sitting in Olette's lap near the base of the tree. Roxas was to their left while Elena was on their right. Sora was sitting next to Roxas with Kairi to his right.

Roxas scowled as Sora went on about how the enemy was slowly making clones of everyone in the school, starting with them, so they could take over the world.

"Sora," he interrupted, gritting his teeth. "Our enemy does not know what we look like outside of our Soldier for--"

"Which _we_ don't have."

There was silence as that information was absorbed and processed.

"Here's right," Elena said after a moment. "You two, Cloud, and Riku fight with us a lot and you don't have disguises. It's possible that the enemy knows exactly who we are." She quickly backpedaled at the look of frustration on Roxas's face and the look of pure glee on Sora's. "I'm not saying I think they're making clones of us! They'd need our DNA and they'd need to know our personalities. So unless they've been watching us our entire lives, the new guy is not a clone."

"Maybe he's a robot!" Sora exclaimed in an 'ah hah!' sort of tone.

The girls and Roxas ignored him. Sora was just being silly by that point. He would calm down in a minute or two.

"Since we've ruled out him being a clone or robot, we need to figure out why he looks like Roxas," Naminé said. "Could he be a cousin of yours or something?"

"It's possible," Roxas admitted. "We've never spent much time with the rest of our family, past or present. Or it could be a complete coincidence that I look like him."

Olette swiped on of Naminé's sandwiches while the pretty blonde wasn't looking. "He's a Junior. So technically he looks like you."

"It doesn't matter who looks like who!" Roxas said.

"I know! I bet he's an alien!" Sora suddenly exclaimed.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Most of us are. Me, Selphie, Olette, and Naminé are all from different worlds."

Sora wasn't willing to give up on his ideas just then. "Then he's from the future! Maybe he's Roxas and Axel's kid!"

"Yeah, because two guys can totally have a baby," Elena said sarcastically.

"Man, that'd be weird."

The group looked up to see Tidus and Irvine standing before them. Tidus had a tray of food in his hands and looked just as chipper as ever in his Blitzball windbreaker. Irvine looked rather depressed, with his hat pulled low over his violet eyes.

"So this is where you keep disappearin' to," Irvine remarked.

"You guys haven't eaten lunch with us since Selphie left for Balamb!" Tidus loudly complained. "We miss you guys."

Kairi felt a pang of regret when she realized they had, in fact, been ignoring their non-fighting friends. _'Did Selphie even tell Irvine she was coming back?'_ She wondered, taking note of the forlorn expression on the cowboy's face.

"Come join us," Kairi said, patting the ground beside her.

The others gaped at her, wondering what she was thinking. They were in the middle of a serious conversation and she was going to invite two non-fighters to join them?

Tidus was more than happy to take a seat beside Kairi, stretching his feet out in front of him. "I can't wait until it starts feeling like summer! Then we can practice Blitzball at the beach without freezing to death!"

"It's not that cold," Elena said. She looked completely comfortable in what the inhabitants of Destiny Island considered cool weather. Her long sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and her long white socks were pushed down to bunch around the top of her shoes. Even her tie was loose and the first few buttons of her shirt were undone.

"To you, maybe, Tidus said. "But where you're from you have actual seasons. Around here the leaves don't loose any leaves. This," he waved his hand to gesture the general weather of that day. "It's one of the coldest days since early February."

"It's almost sixty degrees," Elena groused. "Back home we'd be breaking out into shorts and tank tops!"

"Not here. Too cold."

"No--"

"Enough!" Roxas interrupted. He reached up to massage his temples where he felt the beginning of a headache settling in. "Temperature is different to everyone. Drop it."

Irvine sat down between Kairi and Sora, feeling most comfortable sandwiched between the two. He didn't have a lunch with him and when Kairi offered him some of hers he turned it down.

"C'mon, man," Tidus said, noticing the exchange. "You haven't eaten a thing since Selphie left? Y'gotta eat something!"

Irvine silently removed his hat and began turning it over in his hands. "I never eat lunch. I don't see the point of continuing to buy one if I don't eat it."

Kairi realized that his words were true. Every time she'd seen Irvine bring a tray of food to their chosen eating area, a certain copper-haired girl swooped down on it mere seconds after it hit the table. "Makes sense."

Tidus stopped mid-rant about how depressing the cowboy was being and stared at the redhead. "What?"

"Selphie always eats his lunch," Kairi said lightly.

Naminé leaned back into Olette, thankful for the girl's presence. "I hope she comes back soon," she whispered.

Irvine put his hat back on and pulled it low over his eyes.

* * *

An explosion ripped apart the ground near Heart Soldier, showering her with debris. She yelped and ducked as a spurt of flames danced over her head and crashed into a round, metal Heartless with large spikes protruding from its body.

"_Cure!"_

Heart looked up as flowers of light opened above her head, showering her with a healing green light. She felt a slight stinging sensation as cuts on her face and bare limbs healed over and her strength was restored. She was able to get to her feet and jump back as a Neo Shadow sprang out of the broken ground, swiping its long arms. She let loose a wave of energy which obliterated the creature, releasing a heart to float to the sky.

"_Aerospark!"_

"_Light!"_

Heart watched as two different types of balls of energy crashed into the round heartless with a loud, grating noise. As the creature began haphazardly spinning at a wobbling tilt, a large shuriken ripped right through the middle of it and spun back to its wielder.

White Rose gracefully landed a few feet away, deftly spinning the weapon with one hand. "You alright there?"

Heart nodded and charged back into battle. "Where do they-- _ugh!" _She spun a ribbon of energy into an approaching Shadow. "Where do they all come from?"

"Who knows," Wisdom muttered, using a piece of a broken park bench to swat away Heartless. There were times when he wished his illusions didn't take so much time or energy to create.

"_Dance, water! Dance!"_

Geysers shot out of the ground around them, knocking Heartless into the air. Immediately after, several projectile weapons were thrown at the airborne monsters, effectively cutting out their life.

Soon the last Heartless was gone and the team of Soldiers, Knights, and Guardians regrouped.

"Riku, you're hurt!" Sora was by his boyfriend's side in a nanosecond, easily casting a Cure spell over him. He waited for the spell to take effect before asking: "How do you feel?"

Riku winced as a particularly nasty wound on his arm healed up. "I've been better." He caught Sora's arm before he could cast the spell again. "I'm fine. Just a little tired. It's nothing a good night's sleep can't cure."

Sora didn't look convinced, but he went off to check on everyone else for injuries.

"They send more each time," Strength said. "It'll be the number of them that beat us back, not how strong they are."

"How humiliating," White Rose bemoaned. "I don't want to be killed by some little Heartless!"

The air around them warped suddenly and a jet of fire poured down from the sky onto them. They quickly scrambled away of it, though the only person unaffected by the fire was Dancing Flames.

"Hell no," refused the fire-user when a red balloon-like creature carrying a staff descended from the sky. "I'm not fightin' that thing."

"Probably a good idea," Heart said. "Your fire will just give it more power."

Dancing Flames scowled and said bitingly: "Sorry for being so damn useless."

"Now's not the time!" Melodious Nocturne interrupting, sensing an oncoming sibling fight.

"You can argue later, right now we need to fight!" Peace said.

Heart was already weaving her energy into her signature ribbon attack. "Let's go!"

"_Slashing Storm!"_

"_Graceful Cascade!"_

The two long-range attacks slammed down onto the creature, one from the top and the other from the bottom. It made a strange hissing noise like air being let out of a balloon and then plummeted to the ground.

Strength and Love dodged out of the way as it landed and bounced back up into the air, leaving behind a crater of fire.

"_Dark Firaga!"_

The powerful attack sent three balls of dark fire flying at the large Heartless. Two hit it in the belly and the other clipped its head.

White Rose's large shuriken slashed through the creature's belly as two chakrams--thankfully devoid of fire--spun around its head as a distraction.

"How about a net or anchor?" Heart Soldier asked Wisdom as she prepared her attack. _"Heavenly Ribbon!"_

Wisdom nodded and then looked to Sora. "Guard me. This will take time."

Sora nodded, ready for any attack that might be thrown their way. Riku and Roxas stayed nearby to help guard both of them.

"Too bad Cloud's not here," Sora remarked. "He could take care of that thing no problem."

Wisdom kneeled down and closed his eyes. "If Cloud could handle everything, we wouldn't be here. Now be quiet."

Sora fell silent and watched the Soldiers and Knights fight. Occasionally Riku or Roxas would shoot off an attack and the large red Heartless would bounce down from the sky towards them, only to be repelled by an icy attack or a basic shielding spell.

"_Illusion net!" _

A shimmering net fell from the sky onto the Heartless, dragging it down several feet before bursting into flames and fading away. In its rage it began showering balls of fire upon them.

Wisdom snarled in anger as he tried to get back to his feet. The simple illusion had drained him of most of his energy and left him feeling as though he'd just run several miles.

"This isn't good," Riku muttered. He watched as Sora struggled to keep up Reflect against the barrage of fire.

Roxas wiped his brow and angrily said: "No kidding."

"_Aqua Splash!"_

A large, water-based attack came out of nowhere, just like before, and dragged the round Heartless down to the ground. It lay on the ground in shock, half frozen to the ground. Before any of the others could react, a masked woman with blue hair leapt down with an ornate blade that appeared to be made of water.

Sora gasped when she stabbed it in the head and it began to fade away.

Riku looked at him in concern. "What's wrong?"

"I know who she is!" Sora exclaimed. He chased after her as she began to walk away, hoping he could stop her. "Wait! Ocean Soldier!"

The woman stopped walking but didn't turn around.

"Will you fight with us?" Sora asked. "The three of you, I mean. I know we had a deal in the past to not get involved in each others affairs, but this is home to most of us now! And it's… sort of our mess to clean up. But I know you won't stand back and let us fight on our own."

"We have our own mission to handle," Ocean Soldier said, her cascading lilt colder than he had ever heard it before. Walking away, she gave them a warning. "Stay out of our way."

Sora lowered his head like a chastised puppy.

"Hey," Riku said, resting a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. "She never said they won't help. They just won't work with us. When it comes down to it, all that matters is that we protect our home."

"But we should all be working together!" Sora protested. "It's not right that they won't even talk to us! It's like they think we can't win and that they have to do it on their own!"

"I'm sure that's not true," Roxas said. "They've always been the loners. Look, if you really want to keep talking about this, then let's do it back home. If that's okay with everyone."

Heart shook her head. "We've got to get home. _Pyro _here almost set the roof on fire last night, so we're technically not supposed to be running around town right now."

White Rose grinned. "I betcha snuck out just to see me, right?"

Dancing Flames snickered. "Aw, isn't that sweet?"

"You can't talk!" Heart snapped. "At least I didn't sneak across the yard to the theme music of Mission Impossible!"

"Enough!" Roxas yelled. "Let's go."

The Sinclair siblings fell silent as they began the walk back into town.

* * *

The melodic sound of a harp filled the air of the oceanfront mansion. Terra sat by the large glass windows, bathed in light from the setting sun. Rather than looking down at the ocean, all of his attention was on the sky. The gentle music washed over him, calming him down and soothing his nerves.

In the far corner of the room Aqua sat running her fingers over the strings of a magnificent wooden harp. Suddenly she stopped, though her fingers remained poised above the strings. "I can feel him nearby."

Terra tore his eyes away from the sky to look at her. "How near?"

Aqua smiled and began playing again.

Terra sat up a little straighter, mystified by her behavior. "Aqua?"

"Why don't we help them?"

"What do you mean?" Terra asked, even more confused than before. "Help who?"

Aqua's playing slowed down but didn't stop. "The other Soldiers. We're all fighting for the same reason. Things might be easier if we work together."

"That's a big change of heart for you. You were the one who decided we should break away from the others," Terra reminded.

"That was years ago when we had problems we needed to fix on our own." Aqua plucked one last string and then stood up. She walked over and joined Terra by the window, sliding her slim around his neck. "We might be able to find him faster if we join them."

Terra could feel his resolve crumbling like sun-baked earth. He would do anything to find his missing friend more quickly. "You're right."

Aqua smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll let them know next time."

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Thanks to my decision to go back and edit the first few chapters to fix and change a few things, I've remembered how much I adore Tidus and the other non-fighters in this story. It also made me realize that I've been neglecting them, so I'm going to try and include them a bit more.

So, what have I been editing? Mostly minor things. A few scenes have been reworked or added to, but it's nothing too major. See, this is why I love reviews that point out the stupid mistakes I make (such as typing "driveway" when I mean "doorframe". Seriously, wtf?) If I don't go in and fix them right away, I'll take care of them in the editing process.

**Next time - **_Reality 13 _

_"We know that Knights are normal humans with powers gifted to them by their planets, but how did Soldiers come to be?"_

_"...I don't know."_

_"You're lying."_

_"I can't. I'm sorry."_


	21. Reality 13

**For Love **

Reality 13

Tuesday, April 28

The day began peacefully enough.

Kairi woke up to the sound of Reno pounding on her door, demanding to know where she hid his lighter and keys. Meanwhile, Axel was blasting music loud enough that she felt sure the Strife's could hear it over at their house.

"I don't have your damn lighter!" Kairi yelled, chucking a pillow at the door.

Reno wasn't deterred. "What 'bout my keys, yo?"

"I don't have those either!"

"Well get up and help me look for 'em!"

"Look for 'em yourself!"

As much as Kairi loved her brothers, she drew the line at being ordered to do anything. Besides, she was sure his keys were in the same place as always--the freezer.

"I'm the oldest! You're s'pose to do as I say!"

"Bullshit!" Kairi rolled herself out of bed to stumble across the room and open the door. Glaring at him, she said: "The freezer and the bread cabinet. That's where your shit is probably at. _Like always._ So shut up and go away!"

Grumbling, Reno walked away.

Kairi retreated into her room and slammed the door shut. She stood in the middle of her room for a moment, trying to figure out what she was suppose to be doing and what day it was, and then began gathering things for school. Into her bag she scooped what homework she managed to finish between fighting Heartless and surviving dinner with her family. After buckling it shut, she located her school uniform and quickly dressed before rushing downstairs to see if she could get food before Axel got to it.

In the kitchen she found Reno with his fingers shoved down the garbage disposal.

"Boy, get your hand out of that damn thing before you lose a fucking finger!" Mr. Sinclair snapped.

"I dropped my damn key, yo! Gotta get that thing out!" Reno replied, pulling back his hand to peer down the drain. "Damn thing."

Kairi rolled her eyes and decided it was in her best interest to ignore her oldest brother as he stuck his fingers back down the pipe. "Mornin'," she greeted her dad as she picked up a grapefruit.

Mr. Sinclair eyes her as she easily sliced the citrus fruit and only took one half. "You need to eat more. You're too skinny."

"Tell that to Reno and Axel," Kairi replied. "I'll eat at lunch. I have to go now!"

Axel walked down the stairs at that moment and saw an opportunity to get out of the house. "I'll give you a ride!"

Mrs. Sinclair seemed to appear out of the woodwork as she grabbed Axel by the ear and pulled him off to another room. "Your first class isn't until noon! You wouldn't _dare_ be thinking about skipping chores, would you?"

"N-n-no ma'am!"

Kairi felt no pity for him, fleeing the house the second she slid her feet into her loafers. It was his fault they were grounded, after all. The more he had to suffer the better she felt.

"Kairi!"

She looked up as Tidus honked the horn of his small, bright yellow car. She smiled and ran the rest of the way down the driveway, pulling open the door to hop into the passenger's seat. "Ti, you're a lifesaver."

Tidus grinned. "I know." He paused as he reached down to shift the car into first gear. "Are you feeling okay? You look exhausted."

Kairi waved away his concern. "I'm fine. Just been doin' some late night crammin' is all. No big."

"If you say so." Frowning, Tidus shifted gears and eased off the clutch and onto the gas.

They drove along in silence for a few minutes. Tidus concentrated on staying on the road and avoiding people while Kairi watched the passing scenery.

Despite Wakka's previous complaints about Tidus driving too slowly, they made it to school in a short amount of time, even after being stopped on the bridge to allow a barge to pass by.

Tidus pulled into a parking place and switched the car into neutral before pulling up the parking brake and turning off the car. As Kairi went to open the door he asked: "Kairi, you'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"

Kairi looked away from him, a feeling of heaviness settling in her chest. "Of course, Tidus."

"I see…" Tidus removed his keys from the ignition and got out of the car. "We'd better go meet up with the others."

Kairi agreed, though she felt like screaming in frustration. As much as it hurt to lie to Tidus, she couldn't risk involving him in the fights. _'I'm sorry.'_

* * *

Elena impatiently tapped her foot, her brown eyes focused on the slim watch decorating her right wrist. _'Where are you, Roxas?' _She huffed and leaned back against the wall, her long blonde hair forming a cushion against the brick. She spotted Kairi being ambushed by Olette and Naminé further up the hall, but paid them no mind once she didn't see a certain boy with spiky blond hair.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Elena scoured the hall for any sign of her Guardian. At last she spotted him walking down the hall amidst a crowd of moving people, his head bowed and his bag held up to his chest. She pushed her way through them and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"I've been looking everywhere for you, Roxas! Where have you been?" Elena looked down and quickly removed her hand. Instead of being met by annoyed royal blue eyes, she was looking into confused light blue eyes. "Sorry! I'm sorry! You just look so much like a friend of mine!"

The boy blinked up at her and tilted his head sideways. "I do?"

Elena found herself itching to squeal and hug him. Despite knowing he couldn't be more than a year or two younger than she was, she found herself reminded of a curious little boy.

"Yeah," she told him. "It's your hairstyle. I'd say it's exactly the same."

He smiled shyly. "That explains a bit. The others who mistook me for him ran away before I could ask them. His name is Roxas, right?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah. And I'm Elena."

"I'm Ventus Brook." He held out his hand and his smile grew wider when she took it and gave a firm handshake. "Looks like your Roxas is coming."

Elena turned around and waved to Roxas to get his attention. When she looked back to thank Ventus, he was gone.

"Something wrong?" Roxas asked as he joined her.

"No… no. I'm fine. I was just talking to, uh…" She paused and grinned. "I was just talking to your 'alien clone'."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha, very funny."

"You know you want to laugh."

"I really don't."

Elena nudged him. "You're allowed to laugh at a joke, y'know."

"It's too early for jokes," Roxas said. He pulled her over to his locker so they were out of everyone's way. "What did you want to talk about?"

"It's been bothering me for a while now, but I've never been sure how to word it." She lowered her voice so there was less of a chance of being overheard. "How are Soldiers born?"

"Well," Roxas began with a sarcastic bite in his voice. "When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much--"

"I'm being serious," Elena interrupted. "We know that Knights were normal humans gifted with abilities either due to exposure to Soldiers or because their world didn't have anyone to protect it. But how did Soldiers come to be in the first place? Are they like Knights?"

Roxas looked away. "I don't know."

Elena narrowed her eyes. "You're lying."

"Look, I can't tell you. I don't know all the details," Roxas said, still refusing to look at her.

"Then who would?" Elena demanded.

Roxas said nothing. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"Fine," Elena turned away from him and began walking away. "I'll find out eventually, Roxas. Whether it is from you or the other Guardians or our enemy. I just hope it turns out for the best."

Roxas watched her walk away, unable to quell his feelings of guilt.

* * *

"But you're so _cute!_" Olette squealed, practically jumping on Naminé as she hugged her. She giggled when her girlfriend blushed and reached up to adjust the large blue bow in her hair. "Don't you think so?"

"I agree!" Sora said with his usual enthusiasm.

"Not my taste," Lulu said thoughtfully. She rifled through a bag in her locker and withdrew a pink and black ribbon. With unparalleled grace, she reached up and wrapped it in Wakka's hair. "_This_ is my taste," she said with a completely straight face.

There was a very brief moment of silence before they all started laughing, including Lulu and Wakka.

Wakka pulled the ribbon out of his hair and tied it onto one of Lulu's braids. "I happen to think that is much better. I don't look good in black, ya."

"You look good in anything," Lulu said, kissing him on the cheek.

Wakka blushed and grinned in an embarrassed way, shoving Tidus when the boy and Kairi joking mocked the exchange.

As Kairi avoided Wakka's swat to her head, laughing all the while, she thought: _'I wish it could always be like this.'_

* * *

A man appeared over the city, his gray hair blowing in the wind. He narrowed his orange eyes as he looked out over the buildings and people with a sneer of disgust on his face.

"How I loathe the people of this world," he slowly spoke. "I will cleanse this world of its disease."

His sneer changed to a smirk as he raised his hand up and violently grabbed at the air. All at once, pandemonium struck the town streets as horrific creatures appeared out of nowhere and began attacking people.

Laughing, the man vanished before seeing the group of people who were out fighting the monsters.

* * *

"Watch out!"

Love tackled Peace to the ground as a Spiked Crawler slammed into the ground, showering them with asphalt.

"Thanks," Peace said breathlessly.

The two girls were back on their feet mere seconds later to rejoin the fight.

Elemental attacks and weapons flew in every direction, effortlessly cutting down Heartless. Somewhere amidst the chaos, Storm and Floral were firing off their own attacks in rapid succession. The area they were fighting in was perfumed with the scent of cherry blossoms.

Down the road, Heart was working with Strength, Sora, and Roxas to keep the creatures contained. Not too far from them were Love, Peace, Wisdom, and Riku. Cloud and the Knights were dashing around, trying to prevent the Heartless from spreading even farther.

"_Light Mirage!"_

"_Blizzard!"_

The two attacks merged together to form a kaleidoscope effect that caused Heartless to run around in confused circles, crashing into each while freezing.

Peace and Wisdom exchanged triumphant glances before being mobbed by more Heartless. Riku and Love blasted them away, giving the two Soldiers room to fight back.

It was the same for the others. The second they cleared out a row of Heartless, even more came to take their place in overwhelming numbers.

Heart Soldier let out a yell mixed with pain and surprise as a small group of Shadows jumped on her back, knocking her to the ground.

"_Get away from her!" _White Rose swooped in to knock them away with her oversized weapon. Even once they were gone, she stayed close to keep the others away while Heart got back to her feet.

"_Aqua Splash!"_

White Rose gasped and knocked Heart back to the ground so the frigid water attack wouldn't hit her.

A figure in black and blue landed near them. "I'd stay down," warned a feminine voice.

"_Earthquake!"_

The ground rumbled beneath their feet, splitting apart in various places to send Heartless plummeting into the earth. Rocks and rubble flew through the air, colliding with the creatures.

A second figure--in tan and black--landed near the first with an audible noise.

Heart looked up, somehow unsurprised to find a man with brown hair staring down at her with steel blue eyes hidden behind a brown mask.

"Earth Soldier?" She breathed questioningly.

The man nodded and held out his hands to help both girls up. "We're here to help."

"Thanks," Heart said sincerely. "We're going to need all the help we can get."

"Let's get to work," Ocean said, summoning her water sword.

The two older Soldiers separated, charging right into the fray. The two expertly took down Heartless, their moves effortless in grace.

Before Heart could get back to fighting, a whistle from the rooftops caught her attention. Looking up, she spotted two figures standing on the edge looking down. One was obviously female, with curled hair and a short dress. The other she assumed to be male by the pants and jacket he wore.

Fire blazed to life around the feminine figure, illuminating the yellow-clad form of Passion Soldier. The second figure jumped down, holding an unusually-styled sword in a striking position. The blade pulsed and began growing icy blue before growing two times its original size. Shards of ice flew with every swing of the blade, some impaling the Heartless.

On the roof, Passion Soldier leapt into the air with her arms spread wide like a great phoenix. The fire around her surged and then converged into a large, molten ball above her.

"_Hellfire!"_

The ball of molten fire broke apart, raining down on the Heartless, obliterating them upon touch.

As the attack finished, Passion landed on the ground and immediately threw herself onto Heart. "I missed you so much!"

Heart awkwardly hugged her back, fully away that there were still Heartless around, though there was considerably fewer. "Umm, Passion? Could we maybe save this for later?"

Passion pulled away, a blush of embarrassment spreading across her cheeks. "O-oh, right! Let's beat these things!" She seemed to pull a pair of nunchaku out of thin air as she ran away to join Brave Soldier.

Heart watched for a brief moment as the yellow-clad girl dodged the shards of ice to deliver her own attacks in a blaze of fire.

'_That's not her original uniform…'_

"Heart!"

Shaking her head, she spun her ribbon of energy to life around her hands. She used it as a whip to smack Heartless away until she found an opportunity to use a stronger move.\

* * *

Ventus flinched as he watched the ongoing battle. Both hands tightly gripped his schoolbag so tightly his knuckles were pure white.

"Ocean… Earth…" He closed his eyes as tears began to gather, sending one drop sliding down his face. "I'm sorry. I wish… I wish I could help."

Trembling, he slipped away from the fight.

* * *

Strength Soldier kicked the last of the Heartless against the wall of a nearby building, where it fizzled away upon impact. With a grim smile she turned to face her comrades. Most of them were leaning on one another for support.

"Damn Bookmaster's," Passion muttered, leaning against Brave Soldier's leather-clad form. "Can't they use something other than ice?'

"At least you're able to destroy them," Peace said.

"That's why we work together," said Heart. "For all of our strengths and weaknesses, we wouldn't succeed if we were separated." She looked to Ocean and Earth and held out her hand with a smile.

Ocean tentatively smiled back and took her hand, shaking it. "Sorry about before."

"It's okay," Heart said reassuringly. She shook Earth's hand next. "I'm just glad we're working together now. But where's Sky Soldier?"

Ocean lowered her gaze to the floor and Earth clenched his fists tightly.

"We don't know," whispered Ocean.

Brave Soldier stepped forward and rested a hand on Ocean's shoulder. "We'll find him. Can't you feel it? The shine of other Soldiers gathering on this world? It won't be long now."

Earth nodded in agreement. "There's a lot we have to do before then."

Cloud cleared his throat and nudged the Knights out of the way. "It's not much, but we have a house we're using as our Headquarters. Let's go back there and talk."

After a few minutes of consideration, everyone agreed and they set off for the Strife house.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

There's not much I want to say about this one... Probably because I didn't sit and write down scene after scene. It also took me a while to sit down and type it up. I'm trying to write chapters more quickly so I can post at least one every week, and after all the snow (and school being closed) you'd think I'd have more written. But I don't.

**Next time** -_ Reality 14_

_"Zidane?"_

_"The one and only! Nice to see you again, Princess Yuffie."_

_"Please don't call me that."_

_"But it's true! Then and now."_


	22. Reality 14

**For Love**

_Reality 14 - Wednesday, April 29  
_

Zexion frowned as he sat down in front of Cloud's computer. A feeling of nagging familiarity poked around at the back of his mind whenever he looked at the coded digits. He massaged his temples as he fought to remember. Whatever it was, it had to do with the old database.

A knock sounded at the door and he looked over to see a tired-looking Squall standing there. His hair was wet from a recent shower and he was wearing some of Cloud's clothes, which fit him surprisingly well.

"Any luck?" Asked the Balamb warrior.

Zexion rested his hands on the arms of the chair. "None. I feel like I should know this, but I don't."

Squall made a thoughtful noise and walked over to take a look. "It's similar to the system we use on Balamb, but I'm no expert on that. Selphie's the one who's good with electronics."

"She hasn't been much help so far," Zexion said, massaging his temples.

"Give her time. She can crack almost anything," Squall said. He picked up a chain from the desk and slid it over his head, letting the lion-shaped pendant rest over his heart. "I'm going to get food. Do you want anything?"

Zexion shook his head, all of his attention on the machine in front of him._ 'What am I not remembering?' _He wondered as the brunet left the room. _'Why can't I remember?'_

* * *

Yuffie sat at the counter of the bar she and Kairi had met up in back at the beginning of the month, her foot tapping anxiously against the wood paneling. Denzel was breezing around the room like always, taking care of orders while his mom handled a phone call in the back.

"Nice place!"

Yuffie looked to her right just in time to see a blond man hop up onto the stood beside her. She was silent for a moment, taking in his ponytail, blue jeans, white shirt, and brown vest. She blinked in surprise when she saw the tan-furred tail lazily swaying behind him. "Zidane?" She questioned.

He grinned and gave her a wink. "The one and only! It's great to see you again, Princess Yuffie."

Yuffie crinkled her nose. "Please don't call me that."

"But it's true. Then and now. You're probably the only one of us whose bloodline hasn't changed." He paused to eagerly look around.

Yuffie had a feeling she knew what he was looking for. "You're _not _going to drink. I've already warned Tifa about you and your charms."

Zidane looked disappointed, slumping on his barstool. "Why'd you have to go and do that? You know I like flirting with pretty, unsuspecting girls!"

"The point of our meeting isn't so you can have fun," Yuffie said. "I really need to talk to you about Dream Soldier."

Zidane immediately scowled at the mere mention of the effeminate man. "Look, I don't like keeping track of him and what he does anymore than anyone else. And I get along with him even less than everyone else!" He sighed and slumped over the counter. "Man, I miss Bartz… _He'd _let me drink."

Yuffie looked saddened by the civilian name of the Knight. He had been one of the few who was not reincarnated, choosing to stay behind to protect their worlds and lead the next generation. In the past, he and Zidane had been good friends, always running around and stirring up trouble together. They were especially adept at annoying Squall.

"I miss him too," Yuffie quietly whispered. She looked up when she spotted a woman in blue with softly layered brown hair rummaging around behind the counter. "Uhh, Rinny? Whatcha doing?"

The woman peeked up over the counter, her brown eyes wide in surprise. A happy smile blossomed across her face when she realized who it was. "Yu! It's nice to not see you rushing out the door without so much as a 'hello'. Don't you have class now?"

Yuffie shrugged. "It's a review day, so I'm ditching. Oh, Rinny, this is my old pal Zidane. Z, this is Rinoa."

Zidane's eyes lit up and he immediately reached forward to take Rinoa's hands in his. "I don't believe I have ever had the pleasure of meeting a woman as beautiful as you."

Yuffie resisted the urge to give an annoyed groan. It wasn't the first time she wished she had a leash or shock collar for her friend.

"Zidane Tribal!"

Zidane dropped Rinoa's hand, looking for all the world like a chastised puppy. He shivered as he slowly looked to the left, where a girl in orange and white was standing with a black-clad woman.

"Fuck," he muttered.

Yuffie bounced over to the next stool so there was more space between her and the blond man. She moved just in time, as the long-haired girl marched over and swatted at Zidane's head.

"Ow, Dag--OW! Knock that off, Dagger!" Zidane yowled, trying to smack her hands away. "I'm sorry, okay?!"

Dagger, more commonly known as Garnet, drew back and put her hands on her hips, never lessening the heat in her glare. "Do you even know what you're sorry about?"

"Umm… for whatever stupid thing I did recently?" He immediately threw up him arms to block another hit but was surprised when he felt nothing. "Dagger?"

The long-haired girl huffed and turned away from him. "You were _supposed _to pick me up from the airship port yesterday. I was there for over an hour before I had to call Tifa, who kindly took time out of her busy schedule to get me. _Where were you?_"

Zidane winced. He had spent the entire previous day playing his new video game. By the time he remembered he had something important to do it was three in the morning and he was ready to pass out. "Oops… I just kind of…forgot?"

Garnet spun around to face him. "You always forget, Zidane! Whenever I need your help with something--it doesn't matter what--you end up ditching me or forgetting entirely! What excuse do you have this time? Were you having drowning kittens? Helping old ladies cross the street? _Stopping a gang war in the countryside?_"

"No," Zidane said, looking her square in the eye. "I was saving the world."

He never saw Garnet's punch coming.

* * *

"Keep going straight. Now… step down. And again. And again. One last step. Okay, turn left slightly. A little more. Good! Go straight again. We're almost there."

Irvine struggled to follow Kairi's directions. The second the bell rang for lunch, she had ambushed and blindfolded him, claiming that there was a wonderful surprise waiting for him.

"Kairi, what's this about?" He asked.

"You'll see," said the redhead. "I promise you'll like it. It might even cheer you up!"

Irvine sighed sadly. "I appreciate that you want to help me, but I don't think it's going to work. I just can't feel happy."

"You should be more optimistic," Kairi remarked. "Few more steps aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnd… stop." She smiled at the others who were gathered beneath their chosen tree.

Selphie stood up and brushed off her blue-and-yellow dress before fluffing her hair to perfection.

With a flourish, Kairi pulled off the blindfold and took a step to the side. She watched as Irvine blinked his blue-violet eyes against the bright sunlight before focusing on the heaven-sent vision in front of him.

"Selphie…" He whispered.

She smiled and took a step forward. "Irvy… I'm home."

Irvine took three long strides forward and swept her up into a hug, pulling her close against his body. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, marveling in the feel of having her back in his arms. "Welcome home."

The others exchanged glances and silently agreed to move away and let the two have privacy. They settled down at a picnic table out in the sun, all of them managing to squeeze together on the long benches. Tidus, Kairi, Sora, and Roxas were on one side while Lulu, Wakka, Elena, Naminé, and Olette were on the other.

"Exams start next week," Tidus said dismally. "I can't believe we'll be graduating soon. Then we'll all be splitting up and we'll never see each other again."

"Oh, please, now you're starting to sound like Hayner," Olette said, rolling her eyes. "I swear if he goes on about how Roxas is leaving him behind one more time, I'm going to strangle him!"

"Why's he think that?" Sora asked. "It's not like we're moving way far away or anything. Me and Roxas are going to EDCC with Axel and Riku!"

"But _Hayner_ isn't," Olette said. "His grades are too low and he's refusing to do any work to get scholarships or grants, so his dad's refusing to pay for him to go anywhere. And if he doesn't find a job by the time summer ends, his dad's kicking him out of the house."

Roxas knocked over his pudding cup in surprise but managed to catch it before it hit the ground. "What? When did that happen?"

"Last week. He mentioned it to me and Pence when we met up at the library for a study session. Which _someone_ forgot about."

Roxas flinched. "I said I was sorry about that. Something important came up."

"I know that, but _Hayner_ doesn't," Olette replied. She lowered her voice and leaned across the table so he could hear her better. "I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

Roxas fell silent. Then he huffed and got up. "I'll see you in class."

Olette smiled as he walked away with his hands shoved into the pockets of his off-white jeans.

"That seemed easier than it should have been," Kairi remarked.

"I've been working on both of them for a few weeks now." Olette shrugged, not seeing it as being a big deal. "It never takes much for those two to make up, but this whole Axel thing has been stewing for too long."

Naminé leaned over to Elena and whispered: "Hayner doesn't like Axel. He feels like he's taking Roxas away from him."

The confusion in Elena's brown eyes cleared up and she nodded. "I see."

"They've always been like that," Sora said, unconcerned by the problems between his twin and the unruly blond. "So, Squall's agreed to stay at our place for a while."

Kairi violently jabbed him with her elbow and hissed "Sora!"

"Who?" Tidus asked.

"No one," Sora and Kairi answered in unison.

Elena snorted in amusement and Naminé and Olette exchanged worried glances. Lulu and Wakka were busy quietly whispering to each other to pay any attention.

Tidus wasn't going to let go of the topic as easily as anyone else. "What's with all of the secrets lately? Who's this 'Squall' person you're talking about?'

"Squall's the Commander of the Balamb Garden SEEDS," Elena spoke up. "He visited Gaia once. Interesting man."

"You know him too? When do I get to meet this guy?" Tidus asked. "And why's he staying with you anyway? Doesn't he get some sort of fancy place to stay while visiting different places?"

Selphie slid onto the bench next to Tidus, pulling Irvine with her. "Squall doesn't like stuff like that, so Cloud agreed to let him crash over there since it's so last minute." She looked around at her friends with a smile. "So where'd Roxas go?"

Kairi breathed a sigh of relief as the conversation deviated from Squall. She couldn't help but feel thankful for the ease with which the brunette was able to change the topic.

Selphie sent the conversation bouncing around to a thousand different topics with a few inside jokes interspersed between. Kairi only half listened to her friends talk, laughing with the group and making a comment every now and then.

"_Oh Kaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiriiiiii!" _

A voice rang out, easily slicing through the story Wakka was telling. Sora grinned and nudged the red-haired girl before pointing to a spot on the corner of the building, where a familiar girl with short black hair was jumping around excitedly, trying to get her attention.

"Who is that?" Lulu asked. "Does she go here?"

"I'll go see what she wants," Kairi muttered, standing up. As she got closer, she noticed a short boy with straight blond hair was resting against the wall behind Yuffie. He looked rather sullen and was sporting a dark red mark on his cheek. "Yuffie, why are you here?"

"Well, Z here managed to get Garnet so pissed that she literally kicked him out of Seventh Heaven. I'm still not sure how he managed that," Yuffie cheerfully said. "And he wanted to meet my future wife."

Kairi stared at the Wutaian for a moment, unsure of what to make of the statement. For a moment she considered walking away and going back to her friends.

Yuffie noticed the expression on the redhead's face and quickly amended: "It's a joke! I promise! Z and I have this thing where--well, it's kinda hard to explain. Anyway, Kairi, meet Zidane. Z, meet Kairi."

Zidane looked up and the depressed expression on his face melted away to be replaced by a pleased smile. He stood up straight and pushed Yuffie aside. Then he gently took Kairi's hands in his own. "If only we had met first. I may have had a chance."

"Flirt," Yuffie accused.

Zidane flashed the Wutaian a brief smirk before schooling his expression into one of woe. He looked into Kairi's eyes as he kissed the back of her hand. Then he backed away and looked at Yuffie triumphantly. "I never claimed otherwise."

Kairi felt a blush heating up her cheeks as she cradled her hand to her chest. Though there was a slight sense of familiarity, she couldn't remember having met him in the past. To make things worse, Yuffie looked so relaxed that she couldn't help but think it was once a daily occurrence. And-- _'Is that a tail?'_

For a moment she watched the furry appendage sway back and forth.

Zidane didn't notice what her attention was focused on. He was too busy staring past her at something.

"Me and Zidane are going to do some karaoke around four and were wondering if you guys wanted to join us. It'll be my treat," Yuffie said.

"I'll ask the others."

Yuffie smiled. "Okay. We'll be going to the one over on Dogfish Street. Just drop by if you want to. Z-" She nudged her friend. "Stop staring at Elena and let's go."

Zidane reluctantly tore his eyes away from the girl and nodded. "Y-yeah. Sure. See ya later!"

Kairi watched the two walk away, chatting and playfully shoving each other. Then she slowly made her way back to her friends.

"So what'd she want? Did she ask you out?" Sora questioned excitedly.

Kairi retook her seat and shook her head. "They wanted to invite us to karaoke after school."

"Karaoke?" Selphie looked excited by the prospect of singing. "We should go! Do you wanna go, Irvy?"

Irvine looked down at her fondly. "If you want to, darlin'."

Selphie beamed. "Yay! What about you guys? Do you wanna go too?"

"I could do a little karaoke," Tidus said.

"Me too! And Roxas will go too!" Sora volunteered.

Although Olette looked excited by the prospect of singing and was even starting to debate with Selphie over what songs to sing, Naminé did not.

"I should really go home and start studying. Exams are coming up soon and it's hard enough to prepare for them and fight Heartless and Dark Ones at the same time."

"But if we don't have fun breaks then you'll get all tense," Olette said. "Please come with us! At least for a little while. A half hour is all I'm asking."

Naminé hesitated.

"It'll be fun!" Selphie said excitedly. "Please come with us."

The pale girl looked rather surprised that Selphie was inviting her when the majority of the time it was either Sora or Olette. She looked around at everyone, nibbling on her lower lip. "I'll go on one condition."

The others eagerly waited to hear what she had to say.

"I'll only go if Kairi goes too."

Kairi, who had been attempting to make her escape via under the table, froze at those words. Slowly, cautiously, she met Naminé's light blue eyes. The girl looked back at her, pleading for her to say that she didn't want to go either.

Neither of them took into consideration the influential powers of a united Sora and Selphie.

Within five minutes the two girls gave in to their demands, promising to go with them for at least a half hour.

* * *

Zexion opened his eyes and looked around. He saw nothing but darkness stretching on from every corner of the room. Yet somehow he was able to see himself clearly, as though he were standing in broad daylight.

"You were certainly difficult to track down, _Highness._"

The gray-haired teenager quickly turned around and saw a man floating in midair with one leg crossed over the other. His feathery hair shifted in a nonexistent breeze as he stared down at the boy before him.

"Who are you?" Zexion demanded.

"I had forgotten you haven't had the pleasure of meeting me yet." The man spoke smoothly--methodically--with a hint of a mocking tone. "I am the one known as Dream Soldier. Doubtless you have heard of me."

"I haven't."

Dream Soldier's expression morphed to one of annoyance. "You have not? Absurd! How could they have not said anything about me when I was the one to restore their memories?"

Zexion began looking at the darkness around them, finding it much more interesting than the flamboyant man in front of him. "Fascinating… What is this place?"

"This is the world between worlds and what is left of ancient lands that fell years and years ago." Dream Soldier's voice had taken on a more wistful tone that drew Zexion's attention. "Radiant Garden is the exception, as it is merely devoid of life. It has the potential to sustain life still."

"But all scientific evidence says otherwise," Zexion said.

Dream Soldier scoffed at the notion he could be wrong. "New science. It's not how it used to be. No one has visited Radiant Garden in over one-hundred years. That is plenty of time for things to change."

"Every study I've exam--"

"I didn't bring you here to debate the likelihood of life thriving in what is now called the Dead Planet, Hollow Bastion," Dream Soldier fluidly interjected. "You're here because Harmony insists I finish the restoration of your memories. Don't move. I can't guarantee this won't hurt."

Zexion opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped by an intense bright light. He blindly clawed the air as he felt himself begin to sink into the ground.

Dream Soldier remained in place with an impassive expression on his face, unbothered by the light. He blue eyes coldly stared at the place Zexion was last at.

After a moment or two he moved, drifting down to let his feet rest on the ground--or what seemed to be the ground. It was difficult to tell with everything being pitch black.

"You have no idea how lucky you are, Prince of Radiant Garden."

The gentle chime of hollowed metal tubes being struck filled the air and a green path was suddenly illuminated, leading off into more darkness.

Dream Soldier chuckled wryly. "Seems they still have a use for me. I had best go see what they want."

* * *

"No way! It's my turn to get the mic!"

Zidane leapt onto Yuffie's back, sending her awkwardly crashing to the ground.

Yuffie continued to keep the mic out of his hands, even at the cost of his weight pressing her into the floor and crushing the air from her lungs.

On one side of the table, Tidus and Sora laughed at the sight the two made while Selphie browsed through the lists of songs with Lulu, occasionally yelling the name of one or two. Irvine lounged behind her with a pleased smile on his face. Wakka was on the far end, looking bored out of his mind.

On the opposite couch Roxas glowered at his brother, angry that he hadn't been asked whether or not he wanted to go. Elena was beside him, sipping on a bottle of water. Every few seconds her eyes would flicker over to watch Zidane and Yuffie roll around on the floor.

Although they had managed to convince her to join them, Naminé was still worried about her schoolwork and studying for finals. Rather than partake in singing, she was dutifully reading the last novel for her English 12 class. Olette was beside her, trying to engage Kairi in conversation rather than annoy her girlfriend by reading over her shoulder.

"What song do you want to sing next, Kairi?" Olette asked.

Kairi shrugged, her eyes drifting to the figures wrestling on the floor. To her surprise, it wasn't the blond boy who had her attention.

"You know," Olette said, lowering her voice and leaning closer. "For a girl who asserts on a daily basis that she's perfectly straight, you sure have spent a lot of time staring at Yuffie."

Kairi jumped a little, looking at Olette with wide eyes. "W-what? I'm not!"

Olette chuckled and leaned back. "You can't fool my eyes. You're cut from the same cloth as Naminé. She had a hard time admitting it at first too."

"You weren't much better," Naminé said in a deceptively calm tone. "And I'd appreciate if you wouldn't talk about that again. Whether I'm around to hear it or not." She turned the page of her book and continued reading, not looking up once to meet Olette's eyes.

Olette shivered and decided it was in her best interest to not press her luck. "How about that song? I bet we could get Sora, Selphie, and Tidus to sing an old 'Spice Girls' song with us."

Kairi laughed. "Sure! Sounds like…" She frowned when her pocket began to vibrate and the opening to "Sexy Back" began playing. "Fun. Excuse me." She stood up and walked over near the door, fishing out her pink cell phone. She flipped it open when the level of noise in the room quieted down. "Hello, Demyx." She flinched and held the phone a few inches from her ear for a few seconds before deeming it safe to put it close again. "Say that again--_**quietly**_ this time."

"Interesting ring tone," Zidane whispered to Yuffie. "What don't you have that one set for my number?"

"Because no matter what you think, you're _not _bringing sexy back."

Zidane pouted and lunged for the microphone only to once again fail.

Frowning, Kairi snapped her phone shut and slid it back into her pocket.

"So what did Demyx want?" Sora asked. "Axel didn't set something on fire and get arrested again, did he?"

Kairi shook her head. "No, he-- wait, _**what?**_"

Sora gulped. "N-nothing! Never mind! What does Dem want?"

Kairi regarded suspiciously him for a moment, wanting to wring the information out of him but knowing it would get them nowhere. Keeping note of the fact that there were non-fighters in the room, Kairi cautiously said: "Zexion remembers and he's pissed. At me."

"Does that mean you're leaving?" Yuffie asked, sounding disappointed.

"I've got to go talk to him, so yes." Kairi walked over and picked up her bag. She then made the mistake of looking over and meeting Yuffie's disappointed brown eyes. She hesitated, feeling her willpower begin to slip away. "You can, uh, y'know, come with me if ya want."

Yuffie was on her feet in a nanosecond, all but flinging to mic past Zidane's awaiting hands and into Wakka's lap. It took her a few seconds to reach Kairi's side, mainly because Zidane decided to trip her to exact his revenge.

"See you around!" Yuffie said cheerfully, pushing the redhead out the door.

The second the door shut behind them, Zidane sighed. "She's trying way too hard. If she keeps pushing it like this she'll scare Kairi away."

"It must be hard," Sora said. "Kairi still doesn't remember everything."

There was silence for a moment, during which Tidus looked around in confusion.

"Am I the only one who has no idea what's going on?"

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

I'm sorry this took so long! Between classes and hanging out with my extremely distracting (and ADD) friends, I haven't been working on this much. Then there was Katsucon, which completely disrupted my schedule for an entire week. I finally got somewhat back on track this week and was able to finish this up.

This weekend is Shevacon, which I'll be attending on Saturday only. It'll also be the last year I'm going to Shevacon, since it's hard enough saving up money for Katsucon and Otakon. Two conventions a year is enough for me.

I'll go into more detail about my adventures at Katsucon later, most likely on Devianart.

_**Next Time**__ - Reality 15_

_"Heh... you Soldiers... you think you're so high and mighty now..."_

_"What do you mean by that?"_

_"Heh heheheheha! You mean you don't know? The reason Soldiers were __**created**__..."_

_"Shut up!"_


	23. Character Guide aka Zexion's Database

**Quick note from KishiroKitsune**: At the advice of one reviewer (Nekotsubasa) I created this guide to go along with the story. Hopefully it'll help keep track of who is who. Because it's meant to be a guide to show who is what Soldier or Knight, **it'll be updated whenever I bring in new fighters**. They won't be added to the main list, so that people who don't want spoilers won't have to see them. New entries will be posted below Zexion's notes, which are labeled by both the day I uploaded the new chapters and the date in the storyline. When you come to a date for a chapter you haven't read yet, just scroll back up and click on the the next chapter. Unless you like spoilers.

Quick reference for how dates are listed: Current Known Soldiers as of _Date in story _( _**date of newest chapter**_)

I hope this helps everyone without causing too much confusion!

*Remember, as it's Zexion typing up the files, he doesn't know everything. For example, he doesn't know that Dream Soldier's civilian name is Kuja.

* * *

Current Known Soldiers as of _Wednesday, April 29 __**(02-25-10)**_  
Recorded by Zexion Shade  
Posted alphabetically

**Brave Soldier** - Squall Leonhart  
World: Balamb  
Age: 19  
Birthday: August 23  
Element: Ice

**Dream Soldier **- ?  
World: ?  
Age: ?  
Birthday: ?  
Element: ?

**Earth Soldier **- Terra Storm  
World: Destiny Island  
Age: 20  
Birthday: December 21  
Element: Earth

**Floral Soldier **- Marluxia Black  
World: Fantasia  
Age: 22  
Birthday: ?  
Element: Flowers

**Heart Soldier **- Kairi Sinclair  
World: (originally Radiant Garden) Destiny Island  
Age: 17  
Birthday: June 25  
Element: Light

**Love Soldier **- Olette Gainsborough  
World: Twilight  
Age: 17  
Birthday: May 13  
Element: Light

**Ocean Soldier **- Aqua Stone  
World: Destiny Island  
Age: 19  
Birthday: February 27  
Element: Water

**Passion Soldier** - Selphie Tilmitt  
World: Trabia  
Age: 18  
Birthday: July 16  
Element: Fire

**Peace Soldier** - Namine Snow  
World: Traverse  
Age: 18  
Birthday: October 8  
Element: Ice

**Storm Soldier **- Larxene Black  
World: Olympus  
Age: 23  
Birthday: ?  
Element: Lightning

**Strength Soldier **- Elena Hawkeye  
World: Gaia  
Age: 18  
Birthday: September 18  
Element: Lightning

**Wisdom Soldier** - Zexion Shade  
World: (originally Radiant Garden) Destiny Island  
Age: 16  
Birthday: December 27  
Element: Illusions

* * *

Current Known Knights as of _Wednesday, April 29__** (02-25-10)**_  
Recorded by Zexion Shade  
Posted alphabetically

**Dancing Flames** - Axel Sinclair  
World: (originally Radiant Garden) Destiny Island  
Age: 19  
Birthday: October 31  
Element: Fire

**Fire Cross **- Seifer Almasy  
World: Balamb  
Age: 20  
Birthday: December 22  
Element: Fire  
*_currently MIA_

**Melodious Nocturne **- Demyx Kaiyo  
World: Twilight  
Age: 19  
Birthday: April 1  
Element: Water and ice

_**Wandering Dawn **__- Bartz Klauser  
World: Planet R (Lix)  
Age: 20  
Birthday: ?  
Element: Wind  
*was not reincarnated_

**White Rose** - Yuffie Kisaragi  
World: Gaia (Wutai)  
Age: 19  
Birthday: November 26  
Element: metal

* * *

_Zexion's Notes (Wednesday, April 29)_

_At Yuffie's insistence, I added a previous Knight (Wandering Dawn) to the list of Current Known Knights. Though he's not here to fight with us, I felt it right to add him to the database in memory of his efforts. Others will follow later, once I collect the necessary data._

_For some warriors, such as myself, I put down the world we were born at in the past with a label saying "originally Radiant Garden", followed by the world we were reborn into. For others, such as White Rose Knight, I gave the name of the world followed by a specific region within it._

_There is currently no information on Dream Soldier. I have a feeling that Yuffie and Cloud know more than they are letting on, however I will wait and see if either of them deem the information necessary for me to record._

_

* * *

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_**NEW ENTRIES (Warning! SPOILERS!)**_

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Current Known Soldiers as of _Saturday, May 2 __**(03-23-10)**_  
Recorded by Zexion Shade  
Posted alphabetically

**Sky Soldier** - Ventus Brook  
World: Destiny Island  
Age: 17  
Birthday: January 22  
Element: Wind

* * *

_Zexion's Notes (Saturday, May 2)_

_Vexen, previously known as Even, has been defeated. I know our battle will only grow worse from here._

_Ventus has finally awakened his powers as a true Soldier, though exactly what that means I still don't know. Selphie's words puzzle me. If we were still in our "training" uniforms (as Selphie put it) in the past and yet had been in training for many years, then why after a mere few weeks are we suddenly "full fledged Soldiers". I understand why it's a gradual thing. Each of us must find the power within us to push past the limits we set for ourselves. But why am I different? I transformed with the help of Selphie, not through my own power. But why is it that Strength could not transform? Surely she is strong enough._

_Selphie has brought back many secrets from Balamb. And she and Squall have yet to speak of the reason why Seifer has not accompanied them back. What happened to them during the end of the Sorceress War?_

_Vexen's final words worry me. My own memories of the subject are hazy at best, though I have a general understanding of how Soldiers came to be. Doubtless the others still have no idea. This will only raise more questions among them. It's only a matter of time._

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Current Known Soldiers as of _Past 3 (__**04-11-10)**_  
Recorded by Zexion Shade  
Posted alphabetically

**Diligent Soldier **- Garnet Til Alexandros XVII (alias Dagger)  
World: Memoria  
Age: 18  
Birthday: ?  
Element: Light

* * *

Current Known Knights as of_ Past 3 __**(04-11-10)**_  
Recorded by Zexion Shade  
Posted alphabetically

**Wild Thief** - Zidane Tribal  
World: Memoria  
Age: 19  
Birthday: ?  
Element: Metal

**Silent Mist **- Fujin  
World: Balamb  
Age: 20  
Birthday: ?  
Element: Wind and Water_  
*whereabouts unknown_

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_Zexion's Notes_

_NONE_

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Current Known Soldiers as of _Reality 19 __**(8-24-10)**_  
Recorded by Zexion Shade  
Posted alphabetically

**Courage Soldier** - Tifa Lockheart  
World: Gaia  
Age: 23  
Birthday: ?  
Element: none

**Faith Soldier **- Rinoa Heartilly  
World: Balamb  
Age: 18  
Birthday: March 3  
Element: ?

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_Zexion's Notes:_

_None_

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_**There are no further entries at this time.**_


	24. Reality 15

**For Love**

_Reality 15 - Saturday, May 2_

Kairi wiped her brow after setting down the last piece of equipment from Demyx's old microbus. "That's the last one, Zexion."

"Hand me that blue cable," Zexion instructed, holding out a hand.

The redhead looked around for the mentioned object and found it draped over a chair. As she handed it over to Zexion, she asked: "Can we please talk about this?"

"No." Zexion took the cable and ducked back under the desk. "You used your rank as a Soldier against me when I didn't remember everything. I cannot let that go unpunished."

"Selphie was the one who came up with the pln," grumbled Kairi.

"You were the one who acted on it," Zexion replied. "Go check the bus for anything you may have missed. Then bring me a glass of water. One with ice in it. That's an order."

Glowering, Kairi left the room to carry out the orders. As much as she wanted to tell him just where he could stick it, he was her prince and the Soldier within her insisted that she listen to him.

She clomped past Squall and Demyx on her way out the door, catching a snippet of the wild story the younger man was telling about an adventure he had with Axel. From what she gathered by the expression on the brunet's face, he wasn't the least bit interested in the story.

Demyx was still telling the story when she returned from checking the microbus. She didn't bother waiting for him to pause to take a breath and just tossed him the keys.

"Thanks, Kairi!" Demyx cheerfully said before delving right back into his tale.

Kairi listened for a moment before she heard the words "fire" and "on the roof". Instead of sticking around to hear more, she went to the kitchen to retrieve Zexion's ice water. There she found Cloud hovering around the oven wearing an apron and looking at a cookbook. Once she was finished, she went back upstairs.

"That took you some time," Zexion coolly remarked as he took the glass. "Where is Cloud?"

"In the kitchen."

Zexion was silent for a moment. He looked around the room at the buzzing, whirling machines positioned on various surfaces. Wires crisscrossed everywhere, making it difficult to tell what device each one was connected to.

"Go get him."

Kairi clenched her fists. "He's busy cooking."

Zexion rested his cool blue-gray eyes on her. "Go tell him I want to talk to him, Kairi."

"N-n-no." It took all of Kairi's strength to utter that one little word, but once she did she felt as though a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "No. I won't. I apologize for what I did, but it was the only way to get you to talk to us! Riku tried to talk to you in class, but said you always managed to slip away. Even Axel tried to help when he noticed how upset Demyx was. And _Demyx_, he tried harder than anyone else."

"But why?" Zexion asked. "It's not his duty to protect me. And he didn't remember the past then."

"You mean it's not obvious? Demyx likes you for you and no other reason. He's a people person, like Sora, and you managed to catch his eye."

"How foolish."

"No one ever said that love makes sense."

Zexion chuckled.

"What?" Kairi asked. "What's so funny?"

"That's not the first time you've said that to me. " Zexion stooped down to plug in another machine. "Go home. I can handle things from here."

Kairi hesitated a moment and then nodded and left. On her way out she stopped by the kitchen.

"Zexion wants to talk to you," she told Cloud.

Cloud closed the oven and dropped his oven mitt on the counter. "Okay. Going home?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. I think I've left my brothers home alone for long enough."

Cloud's lips twitched upwards in what may have been a smile. "I hope the house is still standing."

"Me too." Kairi bade him goodbye and then walked across the kitchen to make her escape through the back door so she couldn't get caught by Demyx.

* * *

A figure in a dark gray hoody walked the streets of downtown Denstiny Island, his ratty sneakers plodding against the wet ground. Tattered jeans covered his legs, patched with piees of checkerboard cloth. A pair of large headphones covered his ears, though they were partially hidden by the hood of his jacket.

A sigh escaped his lips as he paused and looked up at the cloud-filled sky. Bright blue eyes wavered in the glow of a nearby lamp post. He looked around for a moment and then ducked into an alley. He squeezed past a dumpster and then moved the broken board of a fence to climb into an empty lot.

A three-legged golden retriever bounding towards him, her tongue lolling out of his mouth. She let out a loud bark, jumping up to put her one front paw on his chest and lick his face.

The boy laughed as he stumbled back and his hood fell down to reveal spiky blond hair. "Down girl! I've got your food right here."

Two other dogs--one a black German Shepherd and the other a scruffy, copper-furred terrier--came trotting out of their hiding places to greet him with their tails wagging.

The boy eased the front paw of his golden retriever off of his chest and then shrugged off his packed backpack. "I managed to buy some real dog food for you guys this time and I've got some leftover chicken from dinner." Unzipping the bag, he withdrew three bowls of varying sizes and set them on the ground.

Surprisingly, the strays stayed back, waiting for food to be placed in the dishes. The little terrier yipped impatiently, spinning around in a single circle. The German Shepherd laid down, stretching out his neck to nudge the middle bowl with his nose. The retriever gave a quiet 'woof', her tongue still lolling from her mouth.

Smiling, the boy pulled a torn-up bag of dog food from the book bag and used a worn measuring cup to divide the appropriate amount of food for each dog. Once he was done, he carefully put it away and took out a plastic bag full of chicken, which he tore apart and sprinkled on top of each bowl.

It was only when he stood up and picked up his bag that the three dogs lunged for their respective bowls.

He lingered a moment to make sure they'd be okay, then fished a plastic grocery bag from his pocket and retrieved the poop-scooper leaning against the wall.

He wondered at some of the things he had to clean up and went as far as to voice his complaints and concerns about what the dogs got into when he wasn't around.

"I saw Aqua today," he said as the dogs began to gather around him, eager for attention. "She was grocery shopping. I felt silly running away from her, but then I found that shop that gave me a discount on food. I think I'll go back there from now on." He wrinkled his nose when he scooped up what was left of an old teddy bear he had given them. "Sunshine, what'd you do to this poor thing?"

The golden retriever cocked her head to the side.

"Not you, huh?" He looked down at the terrier. "Buster, was this your doing?"

The small dog yipped and tore around the lot in a circle at breakneck speed before abruptly stopped and looking at him. She hunkered down when he took a step forward. Then she let out another high-pitched bark and took off running again.

"She sure is a handful, huh, Bruce?"

The large German shepherd took a seat by his feet, looking up at him with sorrowful brown eyes.

"It's okay. I've got new toys for you," said the blond boy. He put up the poop-scooper and tossed the grocery bag over the fence into the garbage bin. Then he set down his book bag and pulled out a cut up and knotted pair of jeans and tossed it to Bruce., who picked it up and carried it off to his hiding place so it would be safe from Buster's tiny jaws and sharp teeth.

Next was a tennis ball, which he bounced towards Sunshine. The golden dog chased after it and caught it mid-bounce before flipping it into the air and chasing after it again.

Last was a soft toy rat, which sent Buster into a tizzy the moment she laid eyes on it.

Laughing, he threw it and watched as she dashed after it. Once she caught up to it she snatched it up and began shaking it. The stuffed toy was easily as big as her head, which made running extremely awkward for her.

He watched the dogs play for a few minutes and then shouldered his bag and left.

It wasn't until after climbing through the fence and starting down the ally that he realized something was wrong.

There was a figure standing at the entrance, blocking the light of the nearby lamp post.

A familiar figure with a wide, malicious smile that didn't reach his cold, green eyes was waiting to greet him.

"Even," hissed the boy.

The smile grew broader. "Hello, Ventus Brook."

* * *

Selphie's sneakered feet smacked against the linoleum school floors as she hurried to the library to find Roxas and her fellow Soldier. Her breathing grew haggard as she thundered up the stairs, shoving past anyone who got in her way. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, drowning out all other sounds.

She slammed open the library doors and didn't even try to disguise the fear in her voice. "Elena! Roxas! We have an emergency!"

There was the sound of books falling to the ground and then Elena emerged from behind one of the shelves. Roxas was next, from a different shelf.

"Where?" Roxas demanded.

"Downtown."

* * *

Cloud effortlessly ripped his sword though a Neo Shadow and clipped the side of a Spiked Crawler, sending it spinning away to crash into a postbox, where Peace froze it in place and then delivered a kick which shattered it into hundreds of pieces.

"_Twilight Beam!" _

The powerful golden energy shot straight through a field of Bad Dgogs surrounding Heart Soldier, destroying them on impact. The pink-suited Soldier gave a nod of thanks, spun a ribbon of pink energy, and charged back into battle.

Riku slid to a stop beside Sora as he fired off a ball of dark fire. "Where's Roxas?"

"He took Squall, Selphie, Zexion, and Elena with him to track down some Vexen guy," Sora said.

Riku's eyes went wide at the name. "You're sure it's Vexen?"

Sora nodded. "That's what Roxas told me. Why?"

"It's nothing," Riku said. "Roxas knows what he's doing." _'I hope.'_

_

* * *

_

Roxas led the way down a long, dark hallway, his blue eyes focused straight ahead. Elena walked beside him, her long legs enabling her to easily keep up with him. Selphie and Squall were right behind them, but Zexion was lagging a few feet behind.

"Roxas, what is this place?" Elena asked.

"I don't know," Roxas replied. "I just tapped into the remaining energy from the worm hole Vexen opened. I'm assuming this is a hideout."

"But why are we here? I mean, why didn't we bring the others with us?" Selphie questioned, speeding up to jog by his side.

Roxas glanced at Selphie. "The others are dealing with a situation downtown. We're here on a rescue mission."

"Rescue mission?" Elena and Zexion asked in unison.

Squall was the next to voice his concern, in his usual calm tone. "Who?"

Roxas was silent a moment until Elena nudged him with her elbow. "It's Ventus. The new Junior at our high school."

"Why him? Shouldn't Vexen have taken someone we know?" Squall asked. "Or is there something you aren't telling us?"

Roxas stopped walking and the sound of footsteps around him ceased as the others followed suit.

"I didn't want to say anything before. He asked me not to," Roxas quietly told them. "He didn't want Ocean and Earth to know."

Selphie punched her open palm in realization. "I knew it! He _is _Sky Soldier! I knew he looked familiar!"

Elena didn't bother to point at the obvious, though the child in her wanted to to laugh. Instead she asked: "Who is Vexen?"

"A previous scientist of Radiant Garden." It was Zexion who spoke up, rather than Roxas. "His name used to be Even."

"How do you know that?" Roxas asked. "I wouldn't have known if it weren't for his note."

"I had a visit from Eleaus--or rather, Lexeaus," admitted Zexion. "Bu that doesn't matter right now. We need to get Ventus away from here or risk Ocean and Earth destroying this world in rage."

"He's right." Elena stepped forward and removed her trasnformation item from her pocket. It was a plain, navy blue tie, which began to glow once it was around her neck. Sparks flew around her body, obscuring it from view. A long, collared shirt zapped into place, tightly hugging her upper body. A navy blue skirt was next, followed by a belt of the same color and a green buckle. The navy tie and elbow length gloves, as well as her black combat boots blazoned into place simultaneously. Last to appear were the green gem on her forehead, the clip on her tie, and her navy blue mask.

"See you down the hall," she said before she took off running.

Roxas chased after her. "Strength! Wait for us!"

Selphie and Squall exchanged glances and nodded. Without needing to touch their transformation items, the two were engulfed in a blaze of color and were revealed in their Soldier uniforms once it cleared.

Passion turned back to wink at Zexion from behind her yellow mask. "C'mon, Zex. Let's go save Ventus." She held out her yellow-gloved hand, which he took after a moment of hesitation.

A cool blue light lit up around their hands and grew to envelope Zexion and transform his clothing into a new Soldier uniform--one which closely resembled the attire he wore as a prince.

The long-sleeved shirt was black with a high collar. His pants were of the same color and were tucked into a pair of gray-blue boots. A cape draped from his shoulders and fell to the back of his knees in shimmering waves of grays and blues. The sash around his waist and his thin mask seemed to be made of the same cloth.

Zexion examined his new uniform in surprise, pulling up his new cape to study it. "Interesting."

"It marks the end of your training and your birth as a fully fledged Solder," said Selphie. "The others will awaken their true powers soon too."

"But--"

"I'll explain it later. We've got stuff to do now!" Selphie pulled him down the hall after Roxas and Strength Soldier.

Brave Soldier followed at a slower pace.

Ventus winced as the lock produced an electromagnetic pulse and blasted him back against the bars on the other side of the cage he was in.

Around him, various test tubes and beakers holding different liquids bubbled along or stayed still as ice. The walls and surfaces were plain white with no hint of color. A thermostat on the wall read that the room was kept just above freezing.

"Damn it," he cursed, rubbing his jaw. "I've gotta get out of here. But how?" He slammed his fists on the bottom of the cage in anger, not noticing that the temperature was beginning to drop more as a current began swirling around the room.

The air conditioner hummed to life a few seconds later as he retreated into his mind the come up with a plan.

A clamor a from outside caught his attention just before the door burst open, slamming into a table and knocking it over. The shattering of glass filled the air as Strength Soldier stepped into the room and met Ventus's eyes.

"Ventus!" Roxas ran into the room behind her, sliding on the liquid on the ground. He wrinkled his nose and stepped back , scraping the sole of his shoes on the ground. "Any ideas on getting him out of there?"

Strength nodded and gathered a ball of crackling lightning in her hands.

"W-wait!" Ventus shouted as she wound up to pitch the ball.

His warning was too late and Strength was unable to prevent the lightning from leaving her hands.

It crashed into the lock and knocked the cage back, sending Ventus sprawling to the cold, metal bottom. The lock sparked and then shot the electric ball back at Strength.

She and Roxas easily dodged it and it went past them to go flying down the hallway.

"Oops," Strength muttered.

"Lets not do that again," Roxas said. He maneuvered his way around the spilled chemicals until he was close enough to the cage to feel the strong shielding that was in place to keep their magic from having any effect.

"Damn. Sora could handle this better than me." Roxas ran a rand though his hair in frustration.

"You can still do it, right?" Strength asked. "You can get him out?"

Looking at Ventus's crouched form, he knew he had to try. "Make sure the others stay back when they get here." He closed his eyes and held his hands over the lock. A soft, white glow appeared around the lock and Roxas furrowed his brows in concentration.

"Ooo, is Roxas using white magic?" Passion Soldier asked as she, Brave, and Wisdom made it to the room. She peered thoughtfully into the cage. "Wow. He really does look like Roxas. Only more expressive."

"Selphie," Strength said warningly.

The energetic brunette fell silent, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Every now and then she'd inhale as though she were about to start talking, but then she'd think better of it and start looking around the room.

Wisdom and Brave kept a sharp eye out for anything out of place. The fact that they hadn't run into any trouble was unsettling to both of them.

Strength watched her friends, wondering about the sudden change in Wisdom's uniform. _'First Selphie and now Zexion… what is going on?'_

"Why are you doing this?" Ventus asked suddenly.

"Because you're a friend," Passion said in a tone that seemed to say that their reasons should be very obvious. "And it's sort of our job to save people."

"But…" Ventus lowered his head so his bangs covered his eyes. "I don't have my powers anymore. I can't transform. What use am I now?"

The lock snapped in half and Roxas pulled open the door. "That doesn't matter. Besides, it'd be even more useless if we came here to rescue you and left without you."

Passion pushed past Roxas to go help Ventus stand up. "Being so sad doesn't suit you! I know it's not a place to be happy, but can't you at least give a little smile? For me?"

Ventus took Passion's hand and let her pull him to his feet. He offered her a forced smile that looked more like a grimace, but it was good enough for the fire-oriented fighter.

"Lets get out of here before Vexen shows up," Roxas said. He looked to Strength and Brave to give them orders. "Check outside to make sure the coast is clear. Brave, I want you to lead the way out. Strength, you're the rear guard. Passion and I will keep Ventus between us."

Passion led Ventus out of the cage, her boots clacking noisily against the metal.

They met no obstacles as they left the laboratory. Even when the door to the room was disappearing in the distance they didn't come up against anything.

"This is weird," Passion muttered, looking around at the plain white walls. "I mean, I'm glad we haven't had to fight anything, but it's really starting to bother me."

"Don't let your guard down," Strength muttered.

After a few more minutes, Brave abruptly stopped and reached out one hand. Frowning, he flattened it as if he were touching a wall, which, as Roxas figured out mere seconds later, was actually a rather heavy barrier that even Sora would have a difficult time breaking.

"Guys," Passion spoke up, sounding worried. "There's one behind us now too."

"Shit." Roxas cast a quick scan spell, causing his eyes to glow blue-white, and found that they were completely boxed in.

Strength rested her hand on the barrier to their rear and sent a jolt of electricity into it to test its force. She barely flinched when it shocked her back. "We walked right into their trap. Do you see a way out, Roxas?"

Roxas shook his head, his eyes dimming back to their usual royal blue. "Sorry. I'm not much of a defensive magic person."

"One wall is an illusion," Wisdom spoke up, looking thoughtfully at what he thought might be a wall. It was hard to tell with everything so blindingly white. "The question is… which one?"

His words prompted the others to look around for a sign of disturbance, though none of them really thought they'd find anything.

Ventus sucked in a shaky breath and sat down on the floor, curling his legs up to his chest. He steadily breathed in and out, trying to soothe his nerves. A soft breeze ruffled his hair, helping to calm him.

"It's not your fault," Roxas muttered as Wisdom began examining one of the walls more closely. "We should have known something like this was coming."

"But if I hadn't been kidnapped--"

"It would have been someone else," interrupted Roxas. "We would have ended up here one way or another. Now get up. If you really feel that bad about it then help us get out of here."

Wisdom punched a wall suddenly and it shattered like glass without any sound. The area that was once pure white was replaced by the opening to a dingy gray hall with leaking pipes running along the ceiling. He moved forward without a word, his cape billowing behind him.

Brave and Strength calmly followed.

Roxas and Passion helped Ventus to his feet before ushering him after them. It would be even worse if they got split into two groups.

As they walked, the air grew colder until they could see their breath in the air. Water no longer dripped onto their heads at random intervals, instead freezing into dangerous spikes hanging overhead.

Ventus gulped and moved closer to Passion, who smiled and reached out to take his hand.

"It's okay," she said with a wink. "We'll get you out of here, no problem."

Ventus weakly smiled at her, trying to ignore the alarmed feeling tightening around his lungs, making it harder to breathe by the minute. He said nothing, not wanting to worry the others more.

A grating cackle soon reached their ears, sending shivers down each of their spines. The temperature plunged even more dramatically as the dark hall opened up into a large white and gray room.

A large door was on the other side of the room, but blocking the way was a blond man swathed in black robes. He carried a spiky, blue shield that was almost as large as he was.

"Even…" Wisdom murmured. "No. You're Vexen now, aren't you?"

The man cackled again and gave a mocking bow. "Very good, prince! But not quite good enough, as you all have effortlessly fallen right into my trap!"

Wisdom stepped forward, holding out a hand to signal for the others to stay back. He stared at Vexen with calculating blue eyes from behind his eye mask. "You could never beat me at chess, so what makes you believe you have a chance now?"

Vexen scowled. "Perhaps so, but that is chess and you have yet to see all of the pieces of this game."

"Perhaps you are suffering memory loss in your old age."

Passion stifled her giggles at the remark.

"How dare you!?" Vexen swung his arm in rage, shooting daggers of ice in Wisdom's direction.

Passion automatically stepped forward, snapping her fingers as she made a sweeping gesture with her arm, sending a stream of fire to melt the ice. She giggled happily at her achievement. "I have _always _wanted to do that."

Vexen gave a cry of outrage and began freezing the floor.

"Strength, take Ventus!" Roxas ordered as he and the other Soldiers split up to surround Vexen and try to stop his attacks.

Brave summoned his gunblade, Lionheart, and began using it to slice needles of ice in half, as his powers were virtually useless.

Passion appeared to be having fun as she dodged out of the way of some attacks and blasted fire at those she couldn't. Every now and then shards would slip past her guard, until a pair of nunchaku appeared in her hands in a blaze of fire.

As Strength ushered Ventus away from the battle, she caught sight of Wisdom Soldier holding up a large black book. He appeared to be using it to quickly magic up walls or redirect attacks.

Roxas darted past him, twisting and turning around attacks with an expression of frustration. His light-based attacks weren't doing much to hinder the ice. With a curse he slid to a stop and held his hands up. In his right hand appeared a white sword with a blue stripe running down the middle of the blade. A black one appeared in his left hand, also with a blue stripe.

A gasp slipped past Strength's lips as the image of an older Roxas with messier hair and hard blue eyes superimposed itself over the scene before her. She could almost picture her previous self fighting alongside o him with a pair of weapons that fired lightning.

She shook her head to rid herself of the images. To distract herself, she focused on getting Ventus safely behind one of the massive pillars in the room.

Ventus let himself get pulled along with no complaints. He barely noticed the battle going on around them and gave no reaction when shards of ice would slice through his skin, drawing blood. He only snapped out of his daze when Strength got him behind a pillar and began to talk.

"You should be safe here. The first chance we get I'll run you to the door and get you out of here," Strength said, peeking around the pillar to check on the battle.

"Just leave me here."

Strength looked back over at him in surprise. "What are you talking about? I can't leave you here! You're a Soldier too. You should know we don't leave anyone behind."

Ventus slid down the pillar into a sitting position and drew his legs up to his chest. "I'm no Soldier. I'm human."

Strength frowned. "Being a Soldier doesn't make you inhuman."

Ventus laughed bitterly. "Whoever told you that lied."

A cold chill rippled down Strength's spine. _'Is that why Roxas wouldn't answer me? Are we really not humans? No.'_ She clenched her hands into fists. "It can't be true. I'm human. _You_ are human. We both need to eat and sleep and breathe. We bleed when we get hurt and cry when we're sad. We fall in love and hate. We have feelings!"

"Ever think it was just something that developed overtime to lure people into trusting Soldiers?"

Something inside of Strength snapped. She reached down and grabbed a fistful of Ventus's shirt, pulling him up to eyelevel. "What is wrong with you?! The Sky Soldier I knew wouldn't be talking like this! He'd be getting up and fighting to prove whoever said that wrong!"

"I'm not him."

Strength dropped him, not caring when his back roughly hit the pillar. Her anger was beginning to manifest as lightning, which crackled around her, wanting to be released. "Stay here," she tersely said, leaving the safety of the area to go join the fight.

Ventus stared at the place she had been standing, her words ringing in his ears and sparking a memory of the past.

* * *

_Sky Soldier watched, horrified, as Earth walked away from him. Darkness swirled around the older man, tainting and twisting his usually peaceful aura into something unrecognizable. _

"_Terra…" He whispered as his eyes filled with tears._

_Ocean rested her hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention. "Don't worry," she told him, her voice soft. "We'll get him back."_

"_But you heard what he said! There's no way to fix this…" Ventus choked back a sob and furiously wiped at his eyes. He had to try to be strong. His weakness was the cause of the disaster. _

"_Then we'll fight," Ocean said simply. "We'll fight to change his mind. To prove him wrong and bring him back to us." She removed her hand and began to walk away. Before she got too far away, she stopped. "You should never give up hope, Ventus. Not you. If you give up--the very second you say that you can't do something, can't change something--then hope really is lost."_

_

* * *

_

Ventus twisted his body so he could look at the raging battle. A light entered his dim eyes at last as he watched them struggle. His will to join in and help out returned threefold, but he stayed where he was.

It was only when Strength was knocked back by a wall of ice that he got to his feet.

Strength pushed herself into standing back up, her legs trembling as they tried to support her weight through the sheet of ice covering her lower body. Her breath came in gasps and her vision momentarily blurred. "Bastard," she muttered. "It's time to end this."

She breathed in deeply and stretched her hands in the air, trying to draw out the power hidden within her like she'd seen Passion and Brave do in previous battles.

Vexen spotted her charging up and let out a snarl of anger as he swung his shield to send shards of ice in her direction.

"Strength!" Passion shouted in alarm, feebly trying to stop the attack with fire.

"_Gale Slice!"_

A wall of air skewed the attack to the side. Sky Soldier stepped in front of Strength, his left arm extended to point a broadsword at Vexen. "I will be your opponent." He cautiously walked forward, his blue eyes never wavering from the shield-wielding villain.

Strength lowered her arms, unable to feel the pull of a powerful electric attack building up. _'Why?' _She wondered, watching Sky effortlessly swing his blade to first disarm Vexen and then back him into a corner. _'Why am I not strong enough?'_

Vexen began to cackle hysterically the second his back hit the wall. "Heh…you Soldiers… You think you're so high and mighty now… That you own the worlds…"

"What do you mean by that?" Passion demanded.

"Heh… heheheheheha! You mean you don't know? The reason Soldiers were _created_…" His crazed green eyes rested on Sky Soldier and then Wisdom. "Hehehe… you know… You know!"

"Shut up!" Sky pressed his blade to the man's neck and applied pressure. "I won't listen to you anymore! I'll decide for myself why Soldier's were born!"

Passion flinched but didn't look away when blood began flowing over the broadsword to drip on the floor.

Vexen slumped and then fell over before his body turned to dust and faded away.

Sky withdrew a cloth from his pocket and cleaned off his sword before dismissing it to the dimension it was summoned from. His hands shook as he put the cloth away. "W-well, that's that." He gave a strained smile and began walking towards the door.

Brave muttered something to Passion and then hurried after the boy. He would need someone to talk to before the day was over.

The first kill was the hardest.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Omg... this chapter... I didn't get through everything I wanted to and it still ended up longer than anything I've written for this for a while. 9 pages. _9._ Over 5000 words. A typical chapter for this chapter runs about 5-6 pages and somewhere between 2500 words and 3500 words.

There's one scene in here that's a sort-of shout-out to one of my favorite anime series. It's the paragraph with Passion when she says "I have always wanted to do that." Can anyone name the anime I was trying to refer to?

I'll give you a hint: the character is also a fire-user.

**Added a new entry to the Character Guide Page**


	25. Past 3

**For Love**

_Past 3_

Lady Kairi sighed and leaned against the balcony overlooking the garden. The wind ruffled her hair, which was beginning to get a little too long for her tastes. Her light pink dress was short, stopping at her knees, and the bodice was tight against her chest, making breathing difficult.

She hadn't seen Princess Yuffie since the Summer Ball the previous year.

Not that she had been looking, mind you. She just happened to notice that the other woman never attended another ball at Radiant Garden.

'It doesn't matter,' she told herself. 'I have my prince to protect. I don't have time to be worrying about some silly princess. Even if she was cute.' A blush rose to her cheeks at the thought. 'Maybe Aqua was right… Having Elena and Selphie as my only straight friends is really starting to affect me.'

She looked out at the garden for a moment longer, her mind straying to the night she danced with the Wutaian princess. Shaking her head, she moved away to go back inside. She was determined that before the night was over she would find a hot guy to dance with.

* * *

Cloud dropped a Spiran blitzball on the ground between the Knights and the Soldiers. He studied them for a moment, wondering how the game would play out with such an odd assortment of people.

The Soldiers consisted of Heart, Strength, Brave, Sky, Ocean, and a long-haired brunette wearing an orange and white uniform named Diligent Soldier. They were led by Sora.

The Knights consisted of White Rose, Wandering Dawn, Fire Cross, Dancing Flames, Wild Thief, and a white-haired woman called Silent Mist. They were led by Roxas.

"The game is Earthbound Blitzball," Cloud announced. "As our dome is currently broken-" (He cast a disapproving look at Wandering Dawn and Wild Thief, who were wise enough to don apologetic expressions at his words.) "-we will be playing here. The rules are basically the same. Limit your powers to disarm only! No weapons. I don't care if you continuously target one player in particular, so long as they handle the ball. Mist, limit the number of times you obscure the field. Sky, don't abuse your control of wind to send the ball off track."

Silent Mist and Sky Soldier agreed to the conditions and then moved to take their positions on the field.

The Knights followed their lead. Fire Cross smirked at Brave Soldier before turning and confidently walking to a position close to the center. Wild Thief beamed and waved at Heart, blew a kiss to Diligent, and flirtatiously winked at Brave before laughing and bounding away, dragging White Rose with him. Chatting animatedly, Wandering Dawn, Dancing Flames, and Roxas slowly followed suit.

"Heart," Brave stoically muttered. "We had better win."

Heart nodded in agreement, her narrowed eyes never leaving the form of the raven-haired Knight. "Keep it tied in the first half and pull ahead by one point in the last few minutes. We'll go all out in the second half."

Brave nodded and set off to inform the other Soldiers of the game plan.

Heart strode forward and took her place on the field, right across from White Rose. She smirked. Things couldn't have turned out better if she had set the positions herself. Though she had to admit, she'd rather have Wandering Dawn on her team. His Goblin Punches were killer.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw the chocobo-loving Knight take a defensive position close to the goals. 'What are they thinking?' She quickly scanned the formation of the Knights, unsurprised to see Silent Mist as the goal keeper. What surprised her was that Fire Cross had taken the position of a shooter and Roxas and Dancing Flames were on defense. Wild Thief and White Rose as shooters made sense. They were small and fast and she knew from experience that Wild Thief was stronger than he looked.

In her opinion, Sora had arranged her and the other Soldiers in a more suitable formation. She, Sora, and Sky Soldier were shooters. Strength was the goal keeper for the first half. Ocean, Brave, and Diligent were on defense.

Cloud picked up the blitzball and held it in one hand. "Ready! Blitz!" He tossed it into the air and promptly dodge rolled away as Heart and White Rose sprang forward to grapple for the ball.

Heart elbowed White Rose in the stomach, to which the other woman replied with a kick to the rib cage. The redhead grunted, but managed to punch the ball towards Sky, who easily caught it and side stepped out of the way of Wild Thief as he made a wild attempt to grab the ball. Before Sky could get too far, Wild Thief hooked his tail around the boys leg and pulled, tripping him just as he was tossing the ball to Sora.

The ball wobbled and strayed off course, falling short of Sora's waiting hands. Fire Cross snatched it up and hurled it towards White Rose, who had managed to get past Diligent and was in a place where she could easily score a point.

Sky Soldier twirled his hand around twice, calling up a breeze to knock the ball towards one of his teammates. Ocean leapt into the air and punched it towards Heart, who immediately threw it to Sky as Wild Thief lunged for her.

The game continued on with the ball rapidly passing back and forth between teams without anyone scoring. Then Fire Cross got the ball for a second time.

He bowled over Sora first, somehow managed to dodge Ocean's graceful tackle, then jumped into the air and effortlessly performed a spinning kick to send the ball slamming past Strength's defenses.

"Point to Knights," Cloud announced. "Two minutes left!"

Heart growled in frustration and glanced to Brave, who was wearing a similar expression of irritation. He caught her eye and nodded.

They needed to tie the game before the break.

Cloud tossed the ball into the air again.

Sky and Wild Thief jumped for it.

Wild Thief smacked the ball to Fire Cross, who was immediately mobbed by Heart and Sora. The two managed to knock the ball from his hands and it fell to the ground.

Wild Thief and Sky dove for it.

Sky managed to get to it a mere second before him. He blasted the ball into the air towards Diligent, who caught it and passed it across the field to Ocean, who held onto it for a moment before spotting Heart in a clear position close to the goal. She feinted a hit towards Sora while really aiming for Heart.

Heart caught the ball and began setting up to aim when Roxas tackled her to the ground and lobbed the ball to Wandering Dawn.

"Tough luck," he said as he got up and ran off.

Heart growled and got to her feet, forcefully reminding herself to take it easy.

"Time!" Cloud's voice echoed around them as he strode onto the field to remove the ball from Fire Cross's hands. "Take a ten minute break and then we'll finish the second round. If you want to change formation, figure it out now!" He held the ball firmly as he walked away to rest on one of the many boulders littering the grassy field.

The Soldiers and Knights split up, though Wild Thief couldn't resist jumping on Brave's back to ruffle his hair before he was dumped on the ground.

"We're not doing so well, are we?" Diligent asked, nervously wringing her hands. She glanced at Heart and lowered her brown eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry. I'm not very good at this."

"You're doing fine," Strength said reassuringly. "Heart and Brave are just… _extremely _competitive."

Heart began pacing as the others, with the exception of Brave Soldier, sat down in the grass. It took Diligent a moment to rearrange the long skirt of her uniform.

"We have to win," said Heart.

Sora looked up at her curiously. "I've never seen you two so motivated to win at Blitzball before. It's just a fun game. Relax and have fun like you usually do!" He shrank back at the twin glares he received from Brave and Heart.

"I don't understand what problem you have with them. They're fighting to protect our worlds too. We should work with them." Ocean reached forward and pulled Sky to her chest, ignoring the startled yelp from the boy. Her blue eyes twinkled happily the moment she was able to rest her chin on his head.

Brave looked over at the Knights and scowled at the sight of Wandering Dawn and Wild Thief bouncing around like hyperactive children. "They're frustratingly naïve."

"You were too, once," Sora pointed out. "Cloud told me _all _about your first year as a Soldier."

A faint red hue spread across Brave's cheeks. "That doesn't matter. It's been at least three years for all of them."

"And what problems have they faced? Overwhelming numbers of monsters and fiends? Doubtful. Loss of a comrade? None. They don't even have to deal with the public like we do," Strength said. "But lets get back to the game. We need to change some things around if we're going to win. Our fastest and lightest players trying to score aren't going to do us any good if they can't hold onto the ball. Someone trade with me."

"I'll do it!" Sora volunteered. "I can't stretch my shield more than a foot from me, but it'll give me enough of an edge to surprise them."

Sky sighed and leaned back as Ocean threaded her fingers though his hair. "I'll switch with 'qua. She'll do better getting out there with the ball. I'm more used to defense anyway."

"Everyone okay with positions?" Sora asked, looking around at his teammates. When no one complained, he stood up. "Let's do some stretching before we get back out there."

* * *

White Rose sighed sadly as she looked over at the Soldiers. "This isn't working so well… I thought she'd lighten up once we started playing."

"Heart? Lighten up for a game?" Dancing Flames scoffed at the idea. "She gets worse with Blitzball. She's so damn competitive."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "As if you aren't just as bad. Don't make me regret letting you switch with Fire Cross.

"You wanna win, right?"

Roxas ignored him, instead looking to Wandering Dawn and Wild Thief, who were excitedly making plans to kidnap Brave Soldier once the game was over. "Dawn, are you up for shooting?"

Wandering Dawn's cocoa brown eyes lit up excitedly. "Yes! Z's with me too, right?"

Roxas shook his head. "Thief's switching out with the pyromaniac."

Dancing Flames scowled at the nickname and crossed his arms over his chest. "I take offense to that."

Wandering Dawn pouted and kicked at the ground, hoping it would change Roxas's mind.

"I grew up with _Sora_. That doesn't work on me," Roxas informed him. "It's just for ten minutes and then you can go on your merry way. Unless it's a tie. Then it's an extra six minutes. Then you can go kidnap Brave and do whatever it is you do."

Fire Cross growled in annoyance. "Do it and I'll show you just what it feels like to have my Hyperion _jammed in your ribcage."_

Wandering Dawn and Wild Thief shivered and hid behind Silent Mist as though hoping she would save them.

"NO CHANCE," she said, moving out of the way.

The two gulped and clung to each other.

"Fire Cross, stop threatening our teammates," White Rose said. "We need a plan."

"How about you put both knuckleheads on defense and let me score a few more goals," said Fire Cross confidently.

Roxas narrowed his eyes, knowing just what the blond was up to. Axel had pulled it on him too often for him to not know. "No," he said firmly. "If you grope him one more time he'll kill you, game or not."

"Then why're you letting _him _loose over there?" Fire Cross complained, gesturing to the sulking brunet picking at grass. "He's worse than I am!"

"He knows how to _not touch Brave," _Roxas replied scathingly. "And sending him out to run is better than keeping him cooped up." He paused a moment to glance over at the stretching Soldiers. "We need to step up our game. I know Sora and Heart and how they plan. They're sending out Strength and Ocean as shooters. Sora's the new goal keeper. Sky's switching to defense."

"Are you sure?" White Rose asked. "Why not keep Strength as a goal keeper? She did a decent job."

"Sora's better," Roxas said bluntly. "There's a reason why he's a Master of defensive magic."

Dancing Flames' eyes went wide. "He's cheating?"

"They're all cheating," Roxas corrected. "Pay attention the next time Sky gets the ball. And I suggest we start cheating more."

Dancing Flames frowned and looked to Wandering Dawn and Wild Thief, who were whispering to each other conspiratorially. "Dawn! You're a wind user!"

Wandering Dawn looked at him in confusion, tilting his head to the side. "Huh? No, I can only sense things on the wind. I know it likes Sky Soldier, but it's afraid of you and Fire Cross and Passion. It's terrified of Strength and Storm."

Dancing Flames opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it and stayed silent.

"Game time!" Cloud yelled.

Wandering Dawn and Wild Thief were on their feet in seconds, cheerfully running through the grass and trampling the few wildflowers in their haste to get back to the game.

"I wish I had their energy," White Rose remarked.

"You don't need it," Roxas said with a tired sigh. "Let's get over there before they do something stupid."

"Too late."

They watched as Cloud firmly bopped each of them on the head and then pointed to their side of the field. The two walked away in disappointment.

"Back to the game."

* * *

She should have seen it coming. The very second Wandering Dawn got his hands on the ball in the last half minute of the game.

"_Goblin!"_

Heart and Strength instinctively ducked. Sora strengthened his defenses so he could at least try to block the ball.

"_Punch!"_

The sound of Wandering Dawn's fist hitting the ball was equivalent to that of a cannon going off.

Sky let out a yelp as it whizzed past his head.

Sore tensed and then shook it off so he could reach out with both hands to catch it. The ball crashed into his shield with such force that he went flying back several feet into the goal.

"Knights, five. Soldiers, four," announced Cloud. "Knights win the game!"

Wandering Dawn and Wild Thief cheered and set off a round of high five's around their team. Even Silent Mist participated, though all she did was hold her hand up in the air unmovingly.

Heart clenched her fists and walked away without a word.

White Rose stared after her, her smile slipping off her face and her heart sinking. It seemed she could do nothing to impress the pink-suited warrior. If anything, the game had made things even worse between them.

She watched the other Soldiers briefly converse, gesturing after their leader. Then Strength shook her head and went jogging after her.

"Y'know," Dancing Flames remarked, ruffling her hair as he approached White Rose. "You're goin' through this all wrong. Let 'er get to know Yuffie first. Hell, she's still pissed at me for savin' her ass a couple of weeks ago. You do it tons more than so, so she's not gonna give ya a chance."

"Great," grumbled Yuffie, feeling even worse about the state of things.

"Look, I've got a plan. Wisdom and Nocturne helped me come up with it," Dancing Flames told her. "She'll be pissed once she finds out what's goin' on, but it'll help. Sort of."

White Rose raised an eyebrow. "So either I do nothing and she continues to refuse to acknowledge my existence or I try to trick her and get her even more pissed at me."

"But it could work," Dancing Flames reminded her. "Look, Dawn and Thief are coercing Brave to go drinking with them at this very moment. Mist is calming Cross down while he rages about those two and any minute she's gonna tell him to go over there. He'll go, intendin' to yell at 'em, but they'll convince him to tag along by tellin' him Brave's going to the bar. Cloud will follow to make sure they don't do anything stupid. Diligent will go along to keep Thief from doing anything stupid. Then Sora'll decide to go and Roxas will go too, which naturally means I'm going to tag along. In other words, everyone will find out and want to go drinking at the bar. In civilian form."

White Rose's mouth formed an 'o' as she pieced together where Dancing Flames was going with his plan. "So all we have to do is figure out why Princess Yuffie is in town and drinking with a bunch of people she shouldn't know."

"That's easy. Diligent's also a princess."

White Rose didn't have to think twice. "Let's do it."

* * *

Kairi grumbled to herself as she let Elena drag her into their favorite bar in Radiant Garden, _Angel Wings._ She could already hear Bartz and Zidane prancing around on stage singing a song while Selphie and Axel egg them on.

"Elena, I really don't feel like partying tonight," Kairi said.

"Then you can sit on a barstool in the corner nursing a glass of Gaia's finest and sulking while being hit on by that one creepy bouncer." Elena tightened her grip when she felt Kairi attempt to squirm away. "But before all of that, Garnet wants you to meet a friend of hers who flew all the way here to visit."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"You're the best friend of the prince and the leader of the five Soldiers who protect him. Of course she wants to meet you."

Kairi fell silent as they entered the main room to the sight of Roxas firmly slapping Axel across the face before stomping away.

Elena groaned and let go of Kairi's hand to go chasing after him. "Roxas! Wait!"

Kairi sullenly walked over and took a seat next to her brother, who was staring after Roxas with a stunned expression on his face. She ordered her usual, an interesting Wutaian drink introduced to her by Elena.

"So what stupid thing did you do this time?" She asked.

"Something stupider than usual, apparently." Axel slumped over the bar and ordered another shot, which he downed within seconds of receiving.

Kairi daintily sipped her drink and turned around to see what everyone else was doing.

Bartz and Zidane were taking their bows on stage while Olette, Naminé, Selphie, and Sora hovered around the computer, pointing out different songs. Riku was nearby, keeping an eye on them while drinking water.

Terra, Aqua, and Ventus had commandeered a table for themselves and appeared to be playing a card game. Every now and then Aqua's brow would crease and she would direct a glare at Terra, who responded with one of his own.

Towards the middle of the room were Squall and Fuujin, both of whom looked bored out of their minds. Seifer soon took a seat between them with a mug of beer and scooted his chair closer to Squall. Smirking, he leaned in to whisper something in the brunet's ear.

"Kairi!"

The redhead looked back to the entrance in time to see Demyx bounding into the room with an amused Prince Ienzo trailing behind him. He slid onto the barstool on her right, the grin never leaving his face.

"You'll never believe what Ienzo just told me! I'll give you a hint--It has to do with a certain princess you've been pining over!"

"Princess Garnet is bringing the Wutaian princess, Princess Yuffie, along with her," Prince Ienzo said. "Apparently the two are old friends. I myself have only met Princess Yuffie once or twice."

Kairi's heart quickened in her chest. "S-she's coming here? But why? Are you sure?"

"She wishes to meet the friends of Princess Garnet," said Prince Ienzo. "I would not worry too much about her."

Kairi looked away from the two and gulped down the rest of her drink, wincing at the harsh taste. She motioned for the bartender to bring another drink and then, upon realizing Axel was playing with an empty shot glass, took pity on her brother and ordered him one as well.

"Are those really that good?" Demyx asked.

"It tastes like strawberries," Kairi replied. "Want some?"

Demyx crinkled his nose and shook his head. "No way. You know me and alcohol doesn't mix. I'll stick to water. Nice, refreshing, cold water. Ienzo will have some too. Right, Ienzo?"

"I will have my usual."

Demyx whined and tugged at the prince's sleeve. "But you promised me you wouldn't drink tonight! That's not fair!"

"After the day I have had, I deserve it," Prince Ienzo said, firmly removing the blond's hand. "There is nothing wrong with enjoying one drink."

"Or five," muttered Axel.

Prince Ienzo raised an eyebrow. "I believe it is time for us to cut you off."

Axel grumbled something and pulled his new drink closer.

"He'll regret it tomorrow when I request for Roxas to wake him up for training at six," Kairi said, unconcerned with the problems it may cause.

Demyx winced. "That's harsh, Kai."

"It could be worse. I could ask Cloud to do it." Kairi took a sip of her drink and set it down. "The ones we really need to watch out for are Bartz and Zidane."

"I think Cloud'll kill them if they drink before training again," Demyx remarked.

"Hell, Cloud'll kill them if they and Seifer keep hitting on Squall. You know, I like the guy and all but I'll never understand what everyone's fascination with Squall is about."

"Really?" Demyx sounded surprised.

Kairi wearily looked at him. "Yeah. Do I dare ask why you're surprised?"

"Well, it's just, Squall's so, um… transgenderal?"

"I believe the word you're looking for is unisex," Prince Ienzo corrected. A pleased look briefly appeared on his face when the bartender placed a fizzling blue drink in front of him.

"Looks radioactive," Demyx remarked. "Anyway, Squall's just one of those people that everyone has a crush on at one time or another. I've always thought he looks kind of feminine."

Kairi looked incredulous. "You're joking, right?"

"Just look at him!"

She did so, but still couldn't see anything special about him. He looked like any ordinary guy to her. Sure, his figure may have been _slightly _effeminate, but the only reason anyone noticed that was because the leather he constantly wore helped to emphasize his body structure. His hair may have been soft--though she only had Selphie's word on that--but it was chopped short and messy. She knew for a fact that practically every other guy she knew spent more time on their hair in a day than Squall did in a week. Plus, there was his scar, which decreased any level of femininity down to zero.

He was just Squall to her. Nothing more, nothing less.

"I don't see it," Kairi said finally, looking away from the brunet. "If you had told me you thought Cloud looks like a girl, I might agree. But not Squall."

Demyx pouted and turned his attention to his glass of ice water.

"Princess Garnet has arrived," Prince Ienzo noted.

Kairi glanced over in time to see the beautiful brunette princess enter the room, her long hair trailing majestically behind her. She was in a simple white dress instead of her usual gown, but she was still wearing her crown.

A shiver ran down her spine when her eyes landed on the second princess.

She wore her dark hair in the same boyish cut, though it was adorned with a simple silver crown for her visit. Also, a black headband covered her forehead. It was a surprise to see her wearing jeans and a t-shirt, since the last time she had seen the girl she had been in typical Wutaian wear. Kairi found it somewhat soothing that she was dressed so simply.

It further proved that the girl was unlike any other princess--and even a few princes--she had met.

Princess Garnet led her to the bar first.

"Prince Ienzo, Lady Kairi, Demyx, and Axel, may I present to you Yuffie, the Princess of Wutai."

"Hiya!" Yuffie greeted, pushing past Princess Garnet. She took Prince Ienzo's hand and shook it once before moving on to Demyx. "Just call me 'Yuffie'. Calling me 'princess' is way too formal." She smiled and moved on to Kairi, holding out her hand expectantly.

Kairi hesitated a moment and then smiled and shook her hand. "Welcome to Radiant Garden, Yuffie."

Yuffie's smile grew wider. "Thanks!"

* * *

Later that night, Kairi flopped happily on her soft bed, her stomach fluttering in a way that wasn't a result of drinking alcohol all night. After all, she'd only had two drinks early in the evening, though the same couldn't be said of Axel.

She knew what the feeling was.

She had felt something similar the year before once the ball was over.

She felt it whenever she thought about the now less-than-mysterious princess.

Giggling, Kairi rolled over onto her side, her smile not fading in the least. She reached out and pulled a pillow close to her chest, hugging it. _'For once I wish the night wouldn't end… Too bad we have training in the morning.'_ She glanced at her clock and muffled her groan with her pillow. _'Training's going to be hell.'_

She didn't know when she fell asleep or even when she closed her eyes. One minute she was grimacing over how rough training was going to be and the next she was being shaken awake by Sora.

"Go 'way…" she mumbled. "'s too early."

"I know, but it's time for training," Sora said. "Get up. We've got a guest today who wants to talk to you guys."

"Who's it this time? 's not Dream Soldier 'gain, izzit? Guy's a creep."

"Nope." Sora gave her another shake. "This guy's the very first Soldier. Cloud finally convinced him to drop by for a little while."

Kairi yawned and rolled over, finally opening her eyes. "The first one? He must be, what, over one-hundred by now? How's he still alive? Can't see an old man bein' able to teach us much fightin'."

"I wouldn't let him hear you say that," Sora said warningly. "Now get up, transform, and get downstairs for breakfast. We're due on the training field in an hour."

Kairi groaned and sat up. "An hour? You mean you could've let me sleep for another half hour? I only got, like, five hours of sleep!"

"You should've left earlier," Sora said smugly. He had left with Riku right around ten once Axel had gotten the microphone and decided to sing a couple songs to Roxas. Needless to say, Roxas was _not _amused.

"Don't be late." With that warning, Sora left the room to go awaken his next victim.

Kairi slowly got out of bed, though all she wanted to do was burrow under her blankets and sleep for a few more hours. She rolled her shoulders as she walked around her room, trying to get rid of the stiffness that had fallen over her body. Then she activated her transformation necklace.

The cool feeling of ribbons wrapping around her body and changing her clothes helped wake up her mind, but it was quickly evaporated by a yawn bubbling its way up her throat. She sighed and tucked the loose pieces of hair behind an ear as she glanced longingly at her bed one last time.

Straightening her back and bracing herself for the day, Heart Soldier left the room.

* * *

Nearly an hour later the Soldiers and Knights had gathered on the field they had come to call their own. People had once flocked to the field for picnics or play various sports, but all of that changed the day the Soldiers began using it.

It was a shame, really. It was such a beautiful field.

"Where are the others?" Heart asked as she sat down in the grass. She looked around at the six people relaxing around her, wondering which one would answer her question.

Sora was laying on his stomach, picking at a patch of clover. Beside him was Wisdom, who was holding a book on the history of Gaia and kept leaning over to ask Strength a question about what he was reading. On their other side were Love and Peace, who were cuddling in their usual sickly cute way. Diligent was across from them, to Sora's left, and seemed to be enjoying the sunny day.

"Ocean, Earth, and Sky went home after their spat at _Angel Wings_ later night," Peace informed her. "Brave, Passion, Fire Cross, and Silent Mist took off for Balamb early this morning. I'm not really sure what is going on over there."

"Most likely it is another uprising," Wisdom said. "I have heard that Galbadia is playing host to a sorceress."

The girls and Sora winced, knowing that such news would only bring disaster for the trio of planets.

"What about Cloud and Riku?" Heart asked, wanting to change the subject.

Sora frowned. "Riku… won't be joining us today. Or any other day that our guest is here. He's busy doing something else." He sat up suddenly and brushed off the front of his clothes. "They're here. Get up."

The six Soldiers followed suit without a word. It was then that Heart realized the Knights weren't but a few feet away and were waiting to meet their mysterious guest as well.

Wild Thief and Wandering Dawn were oddly silent, though it may have only been because of the lack of sleep they got the night before. Melodious Nocturne seemed to be the only one who got enough sleep, which made sense considering he only drank water the night before and left an hour and a half after Sora and Riku. Even White Rose looked a little worse for wear, though Heart had difficulty understanding why she wouldn't have gotten sleep. And then there were Dancing Flames and Roxas.

"Don't you _dare _talk back to him!" Roxas hissed warningly.

"I'm _not._" Dancing Flames grumpily crossed his arms over his chest.

Sora looked over at them and saw that Roxas was about ready to snap and start up an actual physical fight with the redhead. Waving his hands, he whispered "shhhh!" in an attempt to stop them. "Argue later! Now's not the time!"

Two figures came into sight at last. One was obviously Cloud, with his bright, spiky hair. The other was a tall man with long, flowing hair that stood out greatly against the black leather he wore. The two seemed to be walking comfortably alongside of each other, but even Melodious Nocturne could pick up on a strange tension between them.

Silence fell over the field as the two slowly approached. Even Wild Thief and Wandering Dawn kept from saying or doing anything. Love fidgeted, unable to remain completely still, until Peace intertwined their fingers and gave her a reassuring smile. Aside from some minute fidgeting, the others were still and silent as well.

At last Cloud and the intimidating Soldier reached them.

Heart shivered when her violet eyes met his cold green ones. There was no caring in eyes like those. They were merciless, searching for a weak spot to exploit on a moments notice. She barely took notice when Cloud took a step forward and began speaking.

"What you learn today can never be repeated to anyone. Not even to those who are here today. The chances of being overheard are too great."

"But what about the others?" White Rose asked. "Shouldn't they know about this too?"

Cloud frowned, not wanting to repeat himself. "If they are not here, they cannot be told."

"But Clo--"

"White Rose, _they cannot be told."_

The female Knight lowered her eyes and unhappily nodded. "I understand."

For a moment, Heart pitied the girl. However, the feeling was quickly gone and replaced by a strong curiosity of what Cloud was about to tell him. Her eyes strayed back to the tall man for a moment. _'He couldn't possibly be the first Soldier, could he? He's no where near old enough. I mean, sure, his hair is silver, but so is Riku's! Come to think of it…'_

Cloud cleared his throat and gestured to the man beside him. "Allow me to introduce One Winged Soldier--the very first Soldier to have existed."

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

I cannot believe how long this chapter ended up being. It wasn't even an originally planned chapter. This was supposed to be _Reality 16._ It turned out that as I was typing it up, the mini-flashback at the beginning wanted to become a big huge thing and since I let it, it spanned itself out for nearly 10 pages.

I've reached another low point in my writing habits right now and finding time to sit down and write without being distracted is a lot like trying to run through knee-deep water. It's a slow and messy process.

Plus, I've only got about a couple weeks left of school, which means lots of projects and tests in my classes, as well as figuring out what to do about my major. (Business Administration is not fun, folks. Especially when you hate math, like I do.)

I've been working on this story for about a year and 2 months now. Honestly, I never expected it to be this long. In fact, when I first started it I had no idea it would turn into the complicated mess it is now. But it's fun to write and there's no chance I'm gonna abandon this (like I've done with a few others...). My goal is to finish writing this before the end of summer.

When I'm down to the last three or so chapters I'll set up a poll so everyone can vote for the next story I write. I'll have at least three.

**Next chapter **- _Reality 16 _

_"Sora, I don't know what to do anymore."_

_"All I can tell you is... follow your heart. Don't just rely on memories and feelings of the past. Sometimes they can lead us wrong."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"What was once meant to be may not be meant to be forever."_


	26. Reality 16

**For Love**

_Reality 16 - Sunday, May 3  
_

Elena awkwardly hoisted herself through Ventus's second-story bedroom window. "Ven, there has got to be a better way," she remarked as she slid the window shut. Turning around, she found the younger blond sitting amidst a small pile of clothes and games and the small duffle bag he had borrowed from her.

"I can't do this. This isn't working," he muttered.

Elena sighed. She had lost count of how many times that day Ventus had changed his mind about going to see Terra and Aqua. Instead of saying anything, she sat down on the edge of his bed and watched him pick through clothing.

"They're gonna hate me. I can't go see them."

Elena held in a groan and laid back so she could stare at the ceiling. 'Why am I here? Why do I care so much? I feel so useless just sitting here…'

Memories of the day before, when she could do nothing to help her friends fight Vexen, flooded her mind. She growled and rolled over on her side. 'I _will _find a way to get stronger. I have to.'

"Elena?"

She rolled over onto her other side to face him. "Yeah?"

"Do you think… do you think they like dogs?" Ventus asked.

"Dogs?" Elena repeated, surprised. "I don't know. I haven't talked to them outside of battle. They keep promising to visit and give Cloud and Zexion information though." She paused a moment. "They mention you a lot. They've been looking for you for a long time. Ever since they remembered."

"Oh…" Ventus sounded upset.

Elena reached down and picked up one of the Game Boy Color cartridges on the floor. It was a game based off a popular animated film about one-hundred dogs saving themselves from bumbling bad guys. She smiled and set it back down. "I'm sure they like dogs. Who doesn't?"

Ventus appeared to relax a little at those words. "Yeah. You're right. Lots of people like dogs. And Aqua loves cute things."

Elena smiled. "Want some help packing?"

Ventus shook his head. "I've got it."

* * *

Selphie waved goodbye to Zell as they split up at the usual intersection. "See ya tomorrow, Zell!" She cheerfully called after him, a smile firmly in place. She waited until he waved back before she turned around, her cheer evaporating faster than water on a hot stove. She started walking away, her eyes downcast.

'Damn you, Seifer. Why'd you go and--' She brutally kicked a rock, but didn't bother checking to see where it went. 'This sucks. Squall's alternating between being pissed and sitting around moping-and that's on a good day-and Cloud's totally not helping things.' She sighed. 'I wish Quistis was here. She'd know what to do.'

Selphie slowly made her way to headquarters, completely lost in thought. She moved as if in a fog and barely noticed when she opened the door and slipped off her shoes. It wasn't until Zexion said something that she realized she had made it to her destination.

"You're here early."

Selphie jumped in surprise. "Prince! I, um, well, I just wanted to drop by and see if Squall wants to hang out, y'know?" She laughed nervously. "Silly idea, I know. But it's worth a try!"

Zexion stared at her and crossed his arms over his chest. "Something is wrong. What is it?"

Selphie's painted-on smile faltered for a brief second. "I don't know what you mean. Everything's fine!"

"I'm young, but I'm no fool, Selphie," said Zexion. "Ever since you and Squall returned, something has not been right. What happened over there to make things change so dramatically? And why did Seifer not return with you?"

Selphie flinched. "I don't want to talk about it."

"It needs to be talked about."

"It doesn't concern you!" Selphie yelled, shoving past him to go hunt down her fellow Balamb Soldier. She felt a pain of regret when she saw the fleeting hurt expression on Zexion's face, but she quickly pushed it aside.

She jogged up the stairs and found Squall at his usual place on the couch. "Squall?" She asked, knocking softly on the doorframe.

The brunet didn't look up.

Selphie grimaced. It was one of _those _days.

"Squall?" She repeated, cautiously walking over to him and sitting down on the edge of the couch. "_Please_, Squall. You're the leader of the Balamb forces! The Trabia forces as well! You can't sit here like this! I miss him too, but--"

"You don't know," Squall interrupted. "We were always together. When all of you left… he was still there. He's _always_ been there. Even when I didn't want him to be." He clenched his fists. "And then he goes off and…" He stopped himself from saying anything else.

"S-say it."

"No."

Selphie's green eyes darkened in color. "Squall, you have to say it. _I _have to say it. We can't keep pretending like it never happened."

"He's not gone…"

Selphie inhaled deeply, steeling herself for Squall's reaction to her next few words. "S-Seifer's dead, Squall. He's not coming back."

_

* * *

_

Getting together a study group to prepare for final exams had sounded like a great idea. A brilliant idea, even. And it was so simple! All they needed was a place to study at, a couple of people willing to study, and plenty of snacks and drinks.

Naturally, something had to go wrong.

Firstly, they were at Tidus's house. And they weren't the only ones there.

Tidus slammed his bedroom door shut and stomped over to the table the others were gathered around. Grumbling about how much he hated his father, he all but dropped the tray of food and drinks on the table. Then he sat down between Kairi and Sora.

"You shouldn't let him get to you so bad, ya know," Wakka remarked, watching as Naminé reached for a sandwich without looking up from her notes.

"_Gah!_" Tidus ruffled his hair in anger. "I can't stand him! And Lenne and mom are crazy about him! It drives me nuts!"

Momentarily distracted by his ranting, Kairi looked up from the book she was reading. "Wakka's right. Just ignore him when he starts getting to you."

"But I can't, that's the problem!" Tidus exclaimed. "He says these things just to get to me and piss me off! Like 'Ha! You'll never be able to do the Jeckt Shot!'" He mimicked his father's voice. "Or 'I can't believe you're even trying to play blitzball!'" He jumped up and punched a fist into the air. "I'll show you, old man! Just you wait! I'll be the best damn Blitzball player in the world! Way better than him!"

Naminé finally looked up, but when she did her eyes were frigid blue. "I would appreciate it if you would be quiet and study, which is the reason we are here today."

The others shivered. Even Olette, who was used to Naminé's slight temper, was affected by the chill.

Tidus sat back down and reached for a sandwich while Naminé went back to reviewing her notes.

Sora leaned back, balancing a pencil on his nose in boredom. "Why can't we study outside in the sun? It feels nice out there."

"Because then you're even more distracted," Kairi replied. "Shouldn't you be studying science?"

"But I already _know _all of that. And so do you guys!" He complained. "I don't get why we're in here studying things we already know."

"Some of us want to do more than just pass our classes and you're the only one in this room who has never _had _to study. For anything," Kairi said bitterly.

"I'll go outside with you," Tidus volunteered.

Olette worriedly eyed Naminé as the blonde began tapping her pencil against the table. "I think it'd be best if we keep studying inside. And maybe in a bit more of a quiet way."

Naminé turned to the next page.

Tidus huffed and poked his Literature book.

"Lu gave me some practice tests to do," Wakka said, trying to break the tension. "We could try a couple of 'em, ya?"

"I'll take one." Kairi closed her book and set it to the side.

Wakka handed one to her, Sora, and Tidus and together the four of them quietly worked through questions for a short period of time.

Then Tidus got restless, which made Sora begin to fidget and not want to work anymore.

"You know, I heard somewhere that too much studying has an adverse reaction," Tidus remarked. "I say we head outside for a bit while there's still some sun. We could go get ice cream and then come right back here."

"Yeah!" Sora eagerly agreed.

"No." Kairi carefully marked her answer and moved onto the next one. "You haven't even completed one practice test yet."

"But, Kairi, I already know all of this stuff! And so do you!"

"Finish the test and we'll take a break."

_That_ was the second problem. Sora's unwillingness or inability to sit still for more than a few minutes at a time had always proved to be a huge distraction. The fact that Tidus was agitated before they even began studying wasn't helping matters.

Plus, all of the interruptions were beginning to annoy Naminé, who began projecting an ominous aura whenever someone spoke. It made getting any actual studying done a very tense and unwelcoming affair.

"You should care more about your grades. Maybe then you would be accepted at a higher grade college," Naminé coolly said, snapping her notebook shut. Without another word, she reached around Olette and retrieved her trigonometry textbook and began working problems.

Sora opened his mouth to say something, but shut it when Olette warningly shook her head. He tapped his pencil on the table for a moment, then grabbed a sandwich and munched on it while marking a few answers. He repeated the process for the remainder of the practice test.

Tidus's process of going through the test was quite a bit different. First, he'd read over the question. Then he'd read it again, that time with a frown marring his face. He'd run his hand through his hair in frustration and finally mark down on answer, frown some more, furiously erase the mark, chew on his pencil, then mark his answer again and move on.

Kairi and Wakka used roughly the same method. Each of them would read over the question a few times, think about it for a while or work it out on paper, then mark the answer and go to the next question.

Naminé continued working various problems in her text book, while Olette calmly sat nearby writing an essay for class. Every now and then she'd tap her pencil and anxiously look over at Naminé.

"Ah, done at last!" Sora said, dropping his pencil and falling back on the floor. "If exams are that easy, I'll be out of school in no time!"

"The question is, how many did you get right," Kairi pointed out. "Give us a while to finish and we can grade each others."

"I'll grade it," Olette volunteered, holding out her hand.

Sora sat up and handed over his practice test while Wakka, after digging around in his bag, gave her the answer sheets.

Olette carefully looked it over, her brow rising with each page she checked. She reached the end without marking a single question. Somberly, she closed the book and looked over at Sora, who was once again laying down. "Sora…" She cautiously began, her voice tinged with wonder. "Do you know how many of these you got right?"

"Dunno. I probably missed a couple here and there," Sora said, unconcerned.

"You got every single question right."

Silence reigned in the room.

A smile split across Sora's face. "So who's up for going out and getting ice cream?"

* * *

Ventus nervously stood at the front door of Aqua and Terra's beach house with his suitcase resting beside him. He glanced back a moment, checking to see if Elena was out of sight. When he saw that she was, he took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

Without realizing it, he held his breath when he heard footsteps. Then the door opened and he heard a feminine gasp of surprise before being enveloped in a hug.

"Ventus!" Aqua sobbed, pulling him closer. "Ven!"

For a moment, Ventus stood there rigidly, having grown unused to being hugged. Slowly, he lifted his hands and hesitantly wrapped them around her. When she didn't react badly to his touch, he let out the breath he'd been holding in a whisper. "Aqua…" He shakily exhaled and repeated her name a little louder in relief. "Aqua!"

"I'm so glad you're safe," Aqua said, pulling back to look at him. She smiled with tears glistening in her eyes and gently caressed his bruised cheek. "We've been looking for you all this time, but you've found us instead!" She laughed and ran her fingers over his hair.

"I-I had some help." He glanced back to see Elena peering around the corner.

Aqua smiled when Elena ducked back out of sight. "I'm glad she brought you." She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and steered him into the house. "Come in! Are those your bags? Bring those in too! Terra's been fixing up your room for weeks! I can't tell you how many times he's changed his mind about the layout."

Back on the sidewalk, Elena began walking away, feeling that everything would be okay between the three of them for some time. 'Now I just have to deal with this Kairi and Yuffie mess. And figure out all of the Soldier bullshit going on.'

Hooking her fingers through the belt loops of her jeans, she began thinking about everything that was happening and how to go about fixing it.

'First thing's first, I've got to fix this thing with Kairi and Yuffie first. They were an amazing team in the past. Then I can worry about the Soldier thing.' She sighed and looked up to the cloudless sky. 'If only things were more simple.'

* * *

Selphie fell to the floor when Squall stood suddenly, his eyes burning icily.

"S-Squall," she stammered when he fluidly walked around her towards the door. She could feel the temperature plummeting drastically and was beginning to see her breath forming in the air. She shivered and tried to move. "S-Squall!" She repeated.

He glanced coldly down at her and then left the room. A few minutes later the front door slammed shut.

Selphie slowly breathed in and out, rubbing her arms to coax some heat back into them. In the end, she settled on holding out her hands and calling forth a small fireball to heat up the room.

"What happened?"

The fireball flickered in Selphie's hands as she looked over to the doorway and saw Zexion standing there. She shook her head and fed the fire more energy. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Zexion crossed his arms over his chest. "Squall just went storming out of the house leaving a trail of ice behind. Cloud ran after him. And you are telling me 'it's nothing'?" He raised an eyebrow. "Explain this to me, Selphie. That's an order."

The copper-haired girl flinched, wanting to fight against him with all of her being. "It's of no concern to you or your kingdom, prince."

"It affects those under my rule, therefore it is of concern to me." Zexion uncrossed his arms and walked into the room to kneel down beside her. "More than that, you are a friend who I wish to help. However, I cannot do that unless you explain what is going on."

Selphie allowed the fireball to fade and let out a tired sigh. "I guess it's more of a burden not knowing…" Casually, she reached up and pulled down the collar of her shirt and dress to reveal a jagged scar from the base of her collar bone and disappearing down beneath the rest of her clothing. "There's a reason why Trabia, Galbadia, and Balamb combine forces to fight a sorceress. It's dangerous work. And this time we had less firepower than usual, even with the help of other Knights and Soldiers." She released her shirt and folded her hands in her lap.

"So that's why you've been wearing shirts under your dresses," Zexion mused.

Selphie nodded. "Squall's are worse. And it's best not to ask him about the one across his neck and back."

"What happened?"

Selphie hesitated. "It's… difficult to say… See, the sorceress… she was someone we knew. Someone who we respected. Especially… especially Seifer."

Understanding dawned on Zexion. "So he went to her."

"Not without her manipulating him from the beginning," Selphie defended her friend. "But… him fighting for her… that's how Squall got that scar. They were fighting and… and…" She stopped to rub her eyes and take a ragged breath. "I've never been more scared. I thought Squall was going to die! There was so much blood…!"

Even when Selphie sobbed, Zexion said nothing and made no move to comfort her.

"They've always fought! Always! But not… not like that! It wasn't right making them fight each other like that! _Damn it!" _She slammed her hands into the ground, crying freely. "And now Seifer's gone! He's gone! And there's nothing I can do! It's not fucking fair! It's not! I-I haven't seen Squall smile even once since then! What am I suppose to do, huh?"

"Live on," Zexion said simply. "Live on to fight and protect Squall and all of your friends. It's all we can do in the face of lost comrades. Give Squall some more time, but continue to remind him that you are still here for him."

Selphie hiccupped. "I know."

Zexion sighed and sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him as scooted closer and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a comforting gesture. "Loosing your partner is devastating even for the strongest of fighters. It is the reason many Soldiers went insane in the past."

Selphie's watery eyes widened as she looked up at him. "They did?"

Zexion nodded gravely. "Indeed. The lifestyles of the Soldiers before us were vastly different, or so Cloud has informed me. They tended to keep to themselves and only came together under extreme circumstances. When Soldiers first appeared, there were only three."

"Only three…" Selphie whispered, beginning to calm down as her curiosity took over. "What happened to them?"

"No one is certain. The records concerning them were destroyed many years before I was born as Ienzo. Though I know the gist of it." He paused a moment. "One went insane, dragging down another with him. The remaining one survived, but slowly went insane as time passed. He went into seclusion in hopes of avoiding harming anyone, but that left the worlds unprotected. New fighters arose, though they used machines and swords, which were not as powerful as magic."

"But then we were born, right?" Selphie asked.

"Not quite." Zexion shifted in surprise when her head fell on his shoulder. "After a few years, the Soldier was found by a boy who wandered out into the mountains and got lost. However, by that time the Soldier's mind had degraded so far that he was unable to contain himself and nearly killed the boy before coming to his senses. Horrified by what he had done, he forced himself to go to a nearby town and begged a doctor to save the boy. However, in order to save the boy the doctor borrowed from the life-force of the Soldier, which bound the two tightly together. The act saved the boy and helped the Soldier overcome his insanity, but the boy was changed in the bonding. With the Soldier's powers constantly washing over him, his entire being was changed. He became stronger, faster--almost like a Soldier--but he lacked the elemental powers. In time, he learned to control metals and gained his own colossal weapon. He was, in a way, the very first Knight to have been born."

"But Axel and Demyx and the others were the first, right?" Selphie asked.

Zexion shook his head. "There were others before them, though there numbers were few. Fire Cross was the first to be united with his Soldier at a young age, therefore he is considered the very first Knight. It also helped them establish a strong bond, which you have no doubt witnessed many times."

Selphie nodded. "Even back then we were raised in an orphanage. All of up 'cept Ambition."

"As I was saying, the Soldier and first Knight went off into seclusion to train and cement their bond before being asked to help protect the planets once more. They agreed and it wasn't but a few years before new Soldiers arose to help them. They, however, had no Knights and were quickly lost to insanity. All but one. He found his future Knight, though he didn't know it at the time, and stole him away. Unfortunately for him, the boy had a brother who was extraordinarily protective of him. I'm not sure if this part is entirely accurate, but the young Soldier's powers somehow became split into three. The two brothers gained part of the young Soldier's powers that day, binding the three of them together. Furthermore, according to the tale, those bound to the two Soldiers, as well as the Soldiers, were essentially immortal from that time on."

Selphie frowned. "So, wait, what you're saying is that all five of them are still around today?"

"Only if they haven't been killed," Zexion said. "Though the odds of that are, as Riku put it, slim to none."

"So… Riku told you all of this?"

"Cloud did. Riku came in towards the end. Of course, that was years and years ago when Radiant Garden stood strong and proud."

"Wow." Selphie leaned against him for a moment longer before moving away. "That's, um, a lot to think about. Thanks." She stood up and brushed off her dress. She began to walk away, but thought of something to ask. "There's more, right?"

Zexion nodded. Sensing her fatigue, he said, "The rest can wait for some other time if you still want to hear it. Though I must admit, Cloud tells the tale better than I."

Selphie offered a sad smile. "I think you tell it just fine," she said before ghosting out of the room and then out of the house.

Once outside, she fished her cell phone from her purse ad went through her contacts until she came across the number she wanted. She hit send and held it up to her ear. "Elena? I have something important to tell you. Can you meet me at the ice cream shop?"

"_Sure. I've got something I need your help with." _Elena replied.

"Okay. See you there!"

* * *

Sora happily bounded through the doors of the ice cream shop, loudly proclaiming his love for the frozen treat. Tidus and Wakka walked in after him, laughing over a joke. Kairi was behind them, shaking her head at Sora's antics. Olette and Naminé brought up the rear, quietly discussing the math notes held in the blonde's hand.

"Oh, it's Zack!" Sora exclaimed. "Hey, Zack! Aerith!"

The couple looked over and Zack jumped up as though he'd been shocked. "Hey guys! Sorry to run, but I've got a ton of stuff to do! I'll catch you later!"

Aerith reached out to him as he practically ran out of the shop, ice cream in hand. She stood up with a sigh, her own cone lightly grasped by her right hand. "Hello, everyone."

"Hey, what's up with Zack?" Sora asked. "I've never seen him leave this place so quickly."

"He's been putting off something at work for quite a while now." Aerith explained. "He's been rather jumpy about it all day, so please don't feel offended." She picked up something from the table and slid it into her pocket, her silver bracelets clinking together. "Zack left his phone behind again, so I'm going to go try and catch up to him. I'll talk to you all later, okay?"

"Bye, 'rith!" Sora stepped forward and gave her a quick hug.

Laughing, the brunette patted him on the head. "Tell Cloud that Zack would appreciate one of his homemade dinner one day this week. And also that I will happily help him buy ingredients and cook."

Sora nodded. "Okay. I'll tell him."

"Bye, everyone." Aerith waved before leaving the shop, her longer skirt flowing around her legs in rippling blue waves.

Naminé and Olette slid into the abandoned booth and resumed their conversation about math. Wakka sat across from them, trying to find a place to jump into the discussion while waving off Tidus's offer to buy him ice cream.

Kairi got dragged to the counter by Sora, though she was rather willing to go up and buy something.

"Oh, ice cream, what would I do without you?" Tidus remarked as he joined them in line. "I think I'm feeling that triple chocolate brownie explosion thing today."

Sora was too busy ordering to give a reaction, but gave was surprised enough for the both of them.

She gaped at him. "But that thing's _huge_! How are you not fat?"

"Blitzball, Kai. Blitzball." He patted her on the shoulder. "Gotta stay active if you wanna eat like I do!"

"No thanks. Just looking at the picture is enough to make me feel sick." Kairi made a face. "I'll stick to my milkshakes and ice cream cones."

"Bo-ring!" Sora chimed, proudly taking his quadruple scoop ice cream cone, topped with hardened chocolate and caramel. "Now this is ice cream, am I right?"

Tidus nodded in agreement and then cut in front of Kairi to ordered his ice cream next.

The redhead stood back to examine the menu screen with Sora beside her, munching on his food.

"So whatcha gonna get?" Sora asked.

"Just a milkshake, I think." Kairi replied. "A cookies and cream one."

Sora sighed. "But that's so simple."

"It's what I like." She took one look at the monstrous bowl of ice cream being prepared for Tidus and promptly looked away from it. "Jeez. I feel like I gained three pounds just looking at that thing."

"You're exaggerating." Sora was silent for a moment, too busy chowing down on his frozen treat to say anything. Looking around, he spotted something interesting. "Hey, isn't that Elena? I thought she was spending today convincing Sky Soldier to move in with Earth and Ocean. Man, I hope she succeeded. Every time I bump into one of them they mention how they're redesigning a room for them.

"Check it out!" Tidus proudly help up his humongous ice cream dish. "Is this not the most beautiful thing in the world?"

"I thought Yuna was the most beautiful thing in the world." Kairi teased, walking past him to order her milkshake.

Tidus blushed. "Y-yeah, well--"

"Tidus and Yuna sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I--" Sora laughed and avoided Tidus's swat of annoyance. "You make it too easy." He sat down next to Olette, casually peering at the problem scribbled at the bottom of the page. "The answer is x equals negative two-x to the fourth over seven-x to the fifth multiplied by three x cubed minus two."

Naminé blinked in surprise and quickly worked out the problem. "How…? How did you do that? You just looked at it!"

Sora shrugged. "I'm good at math. Roxas is better at Literature. We're kind of opposites like that."

Kairi and Tidus soon joined them, sliding in next to Wakka.

"You're _still _doing homework?" Tidus asked, aghast. "We're supposed to be out here for a break!"

Sora kicked Kairi under the table, eliciting a hissed "ow, Sora!" from the redhead. He nodded in the direction of the doors in hopes she would get his hint to turn around and look.

While Tidus and Wakka were distracted by a brief argument over studying, Kairi glanced back just in time to see Elena take a seat in a corner booth which was mostly hidden.

'_Odd. I wonder what's going on.'_

"I just don't see the point," Tidus grumbled, scooping up a large spoonful of ice cream and shoving it in his mouth. Seconds later his expression turned to one of pain and he let out a low moan while clutching his head.

Naminé's icy demeanor shattered when she started giggling, her blue eyes lightening. "I'm so glad we're friends now, Tidus. You know just how to make me laugh!"

Wakka clapped Tidus on the back. "Y'hear that, man? You made a girl happy!"

"Shut up," Tidus muttered, wishing his head would hurry up and defrost. "_Aaaagh… _Damn."

"You should be more careful," Kairi said.

Tidus was too busy fighting off the pounding in his head to reply.

"I'm sorry," Naminé apologized once she stopped giggling. "The look on your face was priceless!"

"S'kay. It's going away now." He stared at his ice cream, poking at it with the spoon.

"If you don't want it, I do," Sora spoke up.

Tidus pulled his bowl close, brain freeze forgotten. "No way! I'm going to finish eating it!"

Kairi rolled her eyes and sat back as her friends gave into idle chatter. As nice as it was to sit around and have normal conversations about school and summer vacation, it didn't feel right. There weren't even any mentions of the mysterious warriors who'd been spotted fighting around town!

She subtly glanced back to where Elena was sitting, wondering who the blonde was waiting for. _'Maybe she has a date.'_ Even as the thought crossed her mind, she knew it wasn't true.

The more she sat there wondering, the more curious she got.

"We really should go back and study more," Naminé mentioned. "Our exams start tomorrow."

"Can we go for five minutes without talking about school?" Tidus asked. "I mean, we're there five days a week and sometimes extra days for activities. Isn't that enough? I came here to enjoy my ice cream and not do more work!"

"But exams--"

"If we're not prepared for them by now, we'll never be," Tidus interrupted. "Look, I know you're worried, but all of this studying can't be very good. You know, I read somewhere once that the best way to study is for short periods of time because you only really remember the first and last things you read."

Olette nodded in agreement. "He's right. I've heard that before too. I think our 'College Success Skills' teacher mentioned it once."

Kairi suddenly stood, pushing her milkshake towards Olette and Naminé. "Here. I'll be right back." Aware of her friends' curious stares, she walked away from the table. She headed towards the bathroom, but ducked into Elena's booth at the last minute, coming face-to-face with the surprised blonde.

"Kairi?" Elena questioned, sitting up straight. "What are you doing here? Did Selphie call you too?"

Kairi shook her head. "No. I'm here with Sora and the others. We needed a break from studying and came here for ice cream. Why're you meeting Selphie here?"

"She said she had something to tell me." Elena shrugged and brushed her long hair back over her shoulder. "And I wanted her help with something."

"Help with what?"

Elena placed a finger over her lips, her mouth curving up in a hint of a smile. "That's a secret." She glanced over in the direction Kairi came from and slowly leaned across the table. "Can you do me a favor? I don't want Sora coming over here and sneaking up on us while we're talking. Can you go back over there and keep an eye on him? Maybe give us some kind of warning if he tries to come over?"

Kairi thought it over for a few seconds and then nodded. "Sure. I can do that."

Elena sat back, satisfied with the answer. "Thank you."

Kairi slid to the end of the booth and then paused. "Did you get Ventus to visit Aqua and Terra?"

"I think he's officially moved in by now," Elena said.

'_That's good.' _Kairi got up and discretely waved goodbye as she walked back to her table to rejoin her study group. _'At least one good thing happened today.'_

_

* * *

_

Terra sneezed as he opened the front door, his blue eyes welling up with tears of agitation. _'Damned pollen. I hate spring.' _He shut the door and looked around for Aqua, frowning when he didn't see her in either of her usual spots. Thinking she was in the kitchen fixing a snack, he headed in that direction.

"Aqua?" He called out as he walked into the spotless room. He took in the wooden cabinets and crushed-shell countertops, the shining metal of the sink, the beige refrigerator and dish washer, and the dark wooden floors and found nothing out of place. Everything was where it was supposed to be. There wasn't a sign of the blue-haired girl anywhere.

Terra frowned and backed out of the room to walk back through the plain white living room. He paused in the middle of the room for a moment. "Aqua?" He called again, starting to wonder if she was even in the house. _'Maybe she went for a walk? She likes the beach.'_

As he started towards the back door, he heard a sound coming from upstairs. Pausing, he raised his blue eyes to the ceiling. _'Why is she upstairs?' _With that question repeating in his mind, he changed his course to the stairs.

Laughter greeted his ears once he reached the top, as well as a distinctly unfeminine voice mumbling something.

Terra's mouth creased into a frown as he walked down the hall. He passed by Aqua's room first and glanced into to see nothing but blue. From the ceiling, to the walls, to the carpet, everything was colored a shade of blue. Even the fish tank against the wall was tinted blue! It was like living in the middle of the ocean.

"Aqua, this is dumb."

"Don't be silly. You were having fun at first!"

"Yeah, but what if he comes home early?"

"He never does."

Terra continued down the hall to his own room. The door was cracked open--definitely not the way he left it. He never had time to clean, so his room typically remained in a constant state of chaotic messiness. He knew it bugged Aqua, so he kept the door closed.

But there she was, in the middle of the mess talking to some stranger.

Terra clenched a hand into a fist and pushed open the door. "What are you doing in he--" He stopped talking.

His room was spotless. For the first time in ages he could see the plush, green carpet. His old, brown recliner was completely uncovered and pulled away from the wall. Every drawer of his hardwood dresser was closed without a sign of clothing hanging outside. His brown and green bedcovers were pulled smooth, partially covering the matching pillows. The brown mini-blinds and green curtains had been pulled open to allow sunlight to stream into the room, highlighting the reds in the brown paint of his walls.

And there in the middle of the floor sat Aqua in a blue sundress with a confused blond boy wearing a baseball cap and holding a baseball bat. Sharpie markers were scattered around them, except for the pink on in Aqua's hands, which she was using to draw flowers all over the baseball bat.

The blue-haired girl stopped when the door was shoved open, but rather than look surprised she smiled more brightly than she had in years and capped the marker. "Welcome home, Terra!"

Terra's eyes remained focused on the small boy, taking in the spikes of his hair and the suddenly frightened light blue eyes looking back at him. He slowly walked forward, masking his emotions. Once he reached then, he kneeled down and gently rested a hand on the boy's head.

"Welcome home, Ventus."

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

I don't know what happened with this chapter. I honestly didn't think I had so much to write about. But then Zexion decided he wanted to explain a little about the origin of Soldiers and Terra demanded a place in being reuinted with Ventus.

And so, this chapter is nearly 6000 words and is 10 pages long, in size 11 Times New Roman font.

I'm glad I finally finished it. I'm sorry it took so long to write! I hit a little writers block once I got to the ice cream shop and wasn't sure how to end it. And once Kairi mentioned Ventus, I knew I'd have to go back and do another scene, one with Terra. I'm glad I did.

Gah, I can't wait to play Birth By Sleep! Then I'll be able to include some of Ven, Terra, and Aqua's actual personalities in this. (hopefully) For now I'm assigning quirks to them based on their elements. Actually, I do that for everyone. Particularly Squall and Namine and their relation to their element of ice.

Terra, with the element of earth, is a stable figure able to control his emotions fairly well, which is why his reuinion with Ven wasn't as emotional as Aqua's.

Aqua, being the Soldier of the ocean, can change her mood pretty quickly. One minute she's calm and the next not.

And poor Ventus gets the element of air, which gives him an overactive imagination. And since he's human, his imagination typically comes up with the worst-case scenario.

At least, that's how I see it.

**Next chapter **- _Reality 17 _

(since I didn't include the scene from _Past 3_'s next chapter preview, I'll reuse it here.)

_"Sora, I don't know what to do anymore."_

_"All I can tell you is... follow your heart. Don't just rely on memories and feelings of the past. Sometimes they can lead us wrong."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"What was once meant to be may not be meant to be forever."_


	27. Reality 17

**For Love**

_Reality 17 - Monday, May 4_

Sora languidly stretched his arms out over his head before letting out a loud yawn. "I can't wait for school to be over with. Exam week is so dull!"

"Clearly he missed all of the fights that broke out today," Roxas muttered to Kairi, who nodded in agreement.

After taking tests all day, the three had opted out of joining Naminé and Olette on their quest to get together a study group. The last they heard from the two girls they were rounding up Hayner and Pence to go over to Lulu's, though Naminé first had to do something afterschool in the art department.

"I don't see how he could forget the food fight Tidus nearly started with that creepy Seymour guy," Kairi mentioned. "It's a good thing Yuna and that blonde girl were there to stop them. Though it's too bad Tidus still got detention when Seymour was the one who started the whole thing."

Sora paused a moment, glancing up at the sky. "It doesn't really help that everything about the guy ticks Tidus off." He sighed and started walking again when Roxas and Kairi caught up to him. "I didn't tell you earlier. We've got some… problems at home."

Roxas's expression turned grim.

Kairi looked over at him curiously and readjusted her grip on her school bag. "What do you mean?"

"Squall ran off yesterday. Cloud chased after him, but came back alone. No one's seen him since then. Even Selphie can't find him," Sora explained, lowering his voice as they passed by a group of chattering middle school girls.

Kairi frowned, wondering if he expected her to do something to help fix things. She was only the leader of Peace, Passion, Love, and Strength. She had no right, nor reason, to command any other Soldier. Not even Wisdom could command the others, even though most of them would listen to him.

The only one she knew of who had the right to command them was Cloud.

'_I wonder why that is.'_

"Cloud's been really beating himself up over this. If anything else happens he might crash. The last time he crashed…" Roxas bit his lower lip, unsure if the topic was something he should be talking about.

Sensing Roxas's hesitation to continue, Sora picked up where he left off. "It was right after we moved here. Me and Roxas were pretty young then, so we don't remember much about what went on, but seeing Cloud like that is something I'll never forget."

"But he's fine now, right?" Kairi asked. "So something snapped him out of it?"

Sora kicked a loose rock down the sidewalk. "Yeah. It was Reno, actually. A couple weeks after you guys moved in and those two met, Cloud started going back to normal."

"I thought for sure he starting coming out more to protect Roxas from his very first stalker," Kairi mused teasingly.

Sora laughed and Roxas rolled his eyes.

"Why does everyone always have to bring that up?" Complained the blond. "He never stalked me! It was all a misunderstanding!"

"You say that now," Kairi joked. "I remember a time when you hatefully called him a stalker and punched him in the gut. Besides…" She laughed and jogged a few steps ahead, enjoying the feel of the wind blowing through her hair. Stopping, she turned around. "Besides, you didn't have to live with him during that time. Though in another year or so…"

Roxas's entire face went red. "S-shut up!"

Sora sighed dreamily. "I can't wait until I can move in with Riku. Then I won't have to sneak out at… night… any… heheh?" He laughed nervously at the glare he got from Roxas. "Please don't tell Cloud?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Fine. But I'm not helping you when he finds out."

"You mean _if _he finds out."

"He's _going _to find out, Sora."

Kairi sighed when the two began arguing over whether or not Cloud would find out and what he would do when he did. A little joking around was fine, but she had to draw the line when it came to pointless arguments. They had more serious things to worry about.

She turned back around and began walking when the two caught up to her. Knowing that they would be bickering for a while, she looked ahead to see if she could find out who was at him. The red of Axel's hair caught her attention and it wasn't long before she could also make out Cloud, Zexion, and Riku standing in the yard.

Cloud was pacing around in a tight circle while Riku tried to talk him down from his worrying. It seemed to only make things worse, as every now and then Cloud would shake his head and start walking faster.

Off to the side, Zexion was calmly talking to Axel, who nodded every now and then before staring off into the sky.

Kairi frowned. _'What's going on?' _"Guys," she called, trying to get Roxas's and Sora's attention. "Guys!"

The twins stopped bickering and looked at her.

"Something's wrong," she told them, gesturing ahead.

All notions of continuing their argument were forgotten the second they saw the expression on Cloud's face. The two dashed past Kairi without another word, cutting through the neighbor's grass to get there more quickly.

Kairi ran after them, nearly tripping on the curb in her haste to catch up to them. When she reached Cloud and the others, she was surprised to find herself barely out of breath. She supposed it was thanks to all of the running around and fighting she had been doing.

Sora and Roxas gathered around Cloud, forcing him to stop pacing and calm down. Kairi, on the other hand, went straight to her brother.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Fucking _Reno, _that's what!" Axel snarled.

Kairi looked to Zexion for help. Axel would bitch about something for a few minutes before finally getting to the point. Zexion was wonderfully logical and would get straight to the point, something she needed right then.

"Reno has been kidnapped by the enemy," Zexion quietly explained.

Kairi gasped in shock. "W-what? But why him?"

"He's the brother of a Soldier and a Knight, as well as a friend of the strongest Guardian," Zexion said. "I would have selected him as a target as well."

"If you thought this would happen, why didn't you say something?" Kairi demanded fiercely. "We could have protected him!"

Zexion closed his eyes, seemingly unbothered by the rage directed towards him. "I was unprepared for them to strike so soon. But now that I know they want to move so quickly, there is another you should worry about. They may not strike again today, but if they do, he is the most logical choice."

"Who?" Kairi asked.

"He knows many of us. And lately he has been seen around you much more than usual."

A chill ran down Kairi's spine when she thought of who it could be. For a moment, her body tensed up in fear at the thought of him in the clutches of those monsters. "Tidus…" She breathed. Snapping to her senses, she undid the clasps of her school bag and searched for her cell phone. Flipping it open, she hit the speed dial for someone she knew she could count on.

"Elena?" She asked when someone on the other end picked up.

"_A-actually, this is Ventus. Elena's a little busy right now."_

Kairi could hear Elena yelling at someone and two sets of laughter in the background. "Sky, it's Heart. We've got an emergency situation. Tell Strength I need her to get back to school _now _and find Tidus. Don't leave him alone for a second!"

"_Okay, got it."_

Kairi listened as Ventus relayed the message and then handed the phone to someone.

"_Heart? This is Ocean. Strength is instructing Sky and Earth on what to do. Is there anything you need me to do?"_

"Come to headquarters. We might need your help."

"_Understood."_

Kairi closed her phone with a snap and then stared at it for a moment before flipping it back open and dialing a number.

"Who are you calling?" Zexion asked.

"Peace," Kairi replied. "I know Love is at a friend's for a study group, but Peace had an art project to finish at school. She should be finishing up."

"Then why tell Elena to watch after Tidus?" Zexion questioned.

"Elena is better at that sort of thing. And she went charging in to the rescue last time. Besides, we need someone else to go with us and Naminé was the first I thought of. All of us can't go running off to save Reno. What if something happens here?" Kairi asked rhetorically.

"Correct," Zexion agreed. "You, Cloud, and Axel have the strongest connection to Reno, so you will be going. And if you'll be fighting who I think you're fighting, having Peace with you is a good plan."

Kairi nodded distractedly and held up a hand to signal that Naminé had picked up. "Peace? I need you to come down to headquarters. The enemy has made their next move."

"_I'm on my way."_

Without another word, Kairi flipped her cell phone shut and put it in the pocket of her skirt. "She'll be here soon."

"I can't believe this," Axel muttered, sitting down in the grass. "Why can't they come out and attack _us_? Wouldn't it be smarter to kidnap us one-by-one?"

"Each of us is powerful enough to overcome them and escape. Granted, some of us are stronger than others, but that's just how it goes," said Zexion.

Before the two could begin a debate on the strength of everyone, Kairi changed the subject. "You mentioned you think you know who kidnapped Reno?"

Zexion nodded. "He's a rather odd man and the only one I can think of who might dare go after two people at once. Though whether or not he has already done so remains to be seen. They may have decided to save Tidus for someone else."

"I hope so," Kairi said. "But there's no harm in starting to guard him now."

"True," Zexion agreed.

"Tell us about this bastard so we can go kick his ass already," Axel groused.

Zexion raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you would be better off staying here."

Axel growled and stood up, easily towering over the short teenager. "I'd like to see you make me!"

Kairi stepped back as a wave of heat flooded the area, emanating from her brother.

Zexion stood his ground, looking calmly back at Axel. He didn't even flinch when a second wave of heat washed over him. The grass around them wilted and then began turning brown, almost to the point where they could catch on fire.

"Axel! Enough!"

Roxas wrapped his arms around Axel's waist and gently tugged him back. With a tired sigh, he let his head rest on his lover's back. "Calm down, Axel. We're going to get Reno back. It's already been decided that you, Kairi, and Cloud will be going."

Axel's anger quickly dissipated at the touch of the little blond.

"If he gets angry that easily, he will be more of a hindrance on this mission," remarked Zexion.

Roxas released Axel and directed him to sit back down in the grass. "Cloud has already decided it. If you disagree, take it up with him. But first." He looked Zexion in the eyes and held up a purple and silver arrowhead. "What do you know about this Xigbar guy?"

"His name used to be Braig," Zexion began. "He was a guard to the science division headed by Xehanort."

Roxas nodded. "I know all of that. What are his powers? His weapons?"

"He bends time-space to teleport around and can manipulate gravity to some extent." Zexion crossed his arms over his chest. "If I remember correctly, he uses arrow guns."

Kairi frowned. "Arrow guns?"

"You need speed and precision to beat him," Zexion told them. "Try to overwhelm him with fire and he'll teleport all over the place. Cloud has precision, but is lacking the necessary speed. His sword slows him down too much. And I'm afraid purely energy attacks won't be enough to take him down."

"What about ice?" Kairi asked. "If I catch him with my ribbon, Peace could freeze him in place."

Zexion thought it over for a few seconds and then shook his head. "It could work, but there's a large chance that he'll teleport out. Try to keep his hands and feet motionless. You need to plan carefully with him. This won't be an easy battle like it was with Vexen."

Roxas scowled. "I wouldn't call that 'easy'."

"You know what I mean, Roxas."

"So now what?" Axel asked. "We gotta wait for Peace and Sky or somethin'."

"Peace and Ocean, actually," Kairi corrected.

Zexion looked intrigued by the information. "Ocean? She may be just who you need to turn the tide of battle."

Kairi nodded, an amused smile spreading across her face. "Nice pun, by the way."

"I thought you might like it."

"Here comes Naminé," Roxas said.

Kairi turned away from them and spotted the blonde in the distance, hurrying towards them as fast as her legs and massive portfolio would let her go. A spot of blue speeding down the road caught her attention as well. She watched as it rolled to a stop near Naminé, allowing the girl to climb inside.

"Is that Aqua?" Sora asked, joining them to see what they were looking at. "Nice car."

"Once they get here, we leave," Cloud announced.

The others nodded in understanding.

It wasn't long before Aqua pulled into the Strife's driveway in her blue convertible and she and Namine got out.

"What happened?" Asked the blue-haired girl.

"They got Reno. Our brother." Kairi gestured to herself and Axel. "We're going to get him back and we could use your help."

_Citizen soldiers holding the light for the ones that we guide from the dark of despair._

_Standing on guard for-_

Kairi quickly retrieved her cell phone and flipped it open as she put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"_Heart? This is Sky."_

"Heart here. What's the news on Tidus?"

"_We can't find him. Elena and Terra are still looking, but according to the detention teacher-Miss Lockheart-he went to the bathroom and didn't come back."_

Kairi cursed under her breath. "Alright. Call if you find out anything else. If you can't reach me, call HQ."

"_Okay."_

Kairi hung up and looked at her fellow fighters grimly. "Sounds like they have Tidus too."

Cloud stepped forward to lead the group, his blue eyes determined. "Well then, lets mosey."

'_Did he just say "mosey"?'_

_

* * *

_

Tidus groggily watched Reno ram himself into the bars of the cage they were in. Every time he was zapped back, curses exploded from his mouth.

A man with a gray streak running through his black hair and an eye patch over one eye sat on a nearby barstool, his yellow eyes never leaving Reno. "You'll never get out of there like that, dude. It's best to give up now."

Reno grunted as he got back to his feet. "You've never dealt with a Sinclair before. We're stubborn bastards." He smirked and charged the bars with a yell, managing to reach his hand through before being blasted back.

"Heh. And they call _me _crazy." The man stood and walked over to the cage, tauntingly standing no more than a foot or two away from it. "Superior built these himself. The only way you're getting out is if someone outside opens the door. And trust me, that ain't happening."

Reno growled and spat in his direction.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Dude, I don't think you know just how much danger you're in."

"Fuck you!" Reno snarled, throwing himself at the bars again.

"As if!" His lips curved into a smirk as the redhead went flying back again. "I'd sit tight, dude, and wait for that sister and brother of yours to bust in here and try to save ya."

"As if!" Reno mocked the mans earlier words. "Like hell I'd let them save me! They'd never let me hear the end of it." He got to his feet and rubbed his jaw. "Nah, I think I'll get myself out of this. Then I'll kick their asses for fighting without the right trainin'."

The man howled with laughter wiping away an invisible tear from his eyes when he was done. "Hoo boy! You really don't know anything. They've had all the training they need. After all, they are the so-called protectors of all the worlds."

Reno scowled. "You talk too fucking much." With a flick of his wrist, he withdrew an extendable metal rod from his coat pocket. "I ain't gonna sit here 'n listen to yer psycho-babble. Boss'd kill me if he knew I let someone like you get to me." He pressed a button on the rod and smirked when it began crackling. "How 'bout you let us out? Otherwise, yer gonna have to meet my friend here."

The man looked momentarily intrigued by the weapon, but then yawned fakely. "As if!"

Reno dashed forward, the rod extended.

Electricity surged around the weapon the second it got too close to the bars and sent Reno soaring clear back to the other side of the cage. The weapon landed harmlessly outside of the cage.

"I _did _warn you," said the man.

An alarm sounded briefly and the guy smirked. "Well whaddya know, they found us. Time to go set up some traps." Without any warning, he vanished from sight, leaving only a smoky gray matter behind.

"Bastard!" Reno hissed, willing his arms and legs to move so he could at least sit up. After a few minutes of only being able to lift or move them a few millimeters, he gave up. He looked over at the half comatose blond sitting near him, thankful he at least had the strength to turn his head.

"Hey blondie! Yer Tidus, right? That kid Kai's been crushing on since forever?"

For a moment, Tidus didn't react. Then he blinked, looked over at Reno, and said: "Huh?"

"Nevermind," Reno muttered. "You got any ideas on how to get out of here?"

Tidus was silent for a moment before he finally murmured something. "Dunno."

"Gee, yer great company." Reno looked up at the ceiling. "Whaddya think he meant when he said Kai and Axel are 'protectors of the worlds'? I mean, what kind of crap is that? Kai hates fighting and Axel sucks at it."

There was a sudden, harsh noise, like air whipping through a flag, and then the man was back in the room. "Change of plan, kiddies. You're coming with me."

Before Reno could protest, he felt something puncture the skin on his neck and then his vision faded to black.

* * *

Cloud slammed first Tsurugi into the door, breaking it down to reveal a large, open room with two balconies. Tied up on separate sides of the room were Tidus and Reno.

"Peace. Shield them," ordered Cloud.

Peace nodded and stepped forward, holding out a hand towards each of them. Ice began building up around the two captives, forming an icy dome around them. "Do this quickly," she whispered. "I'm not sure how well I can hold them up."

Cloud nodded as he shouldered his sword. "Our first priority is taking down Xigbar so we can get those two out. Be careful!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Dancing Flames charged into the room, Chakrams alit in fiery glory.

Heart ran out next, heading to guard Tidus while Cloud went for Reno.

Ocean calmly walked out to the middle of the room and then held up a hand to summon her watery broadsword. It pulsed in her hands as the air around her rippled.

"Get ready!" She warned.

Arrows flew from the left balcony, immediately putting the warriors on the defensive. Cloud and Aqua were able to deflect most of them with their swords, while Heart and Dancing Flames ran around dodging them.

Peace drew up an ice barrier in front of herself and then went back to reinforcing the ones around Tidus and Reno. She gritted her teeth when her gloves began icing over, starting at her fingertips.

'_Hurry guys. I can't keep this up for long.'_

Heart quickly spun a ribbon and used it to knock away arrows she couldn't avoid. The pink energy twirled protectively around her, wrapping around her arms for more strength. When she saw an opening, she ran towards the left balcony and aimed the ribbons so they would slice through the bottom and hit where Xigbar was standing.

At once, the arrows stopped and Xigbar appeared, rubbing his head. "You clever little sneak." He jumped down, arrow guns in hand, and was immediately assaulted by Dancing Flames.

"Now, now. Don't you think that's a little rude?" He asked, dodging each attack.

Dancing Flames called up a geyser of fire and managed to singe part of Xigbar's coat before he dodged out of the way.

Ocean joined the fray, swinging her massive sword in a wide arc.

Xigbar flipped over her head and tripped her before aiming one gun at Dancing Flame's head. "Lovely to see you, Ocean. My, that's an odd choice of weapon. It was _much _better suited to its previous owner."

Ocean calmly got to her feet and readjusted her grip. "You cannot win this fight. Not this time."

"Oh?" Xigbar appeared amused by her statement. "We'll see."

Ocean darted forward to strike him, but had to pull back at the last moment to keep from hitting Dancing Flames when Xigbar vanished.

"I wonder…" His voice echoes around them. "How long can your Soldier of Peace keep it up? She looks like she's gonna fall apart."

"Don't listen to him!" Peace yelled. "I'm fine! Fight him!" She stifled a whimper as ice crawled down her arm.

Xigbar began shooting again, aiming only for the ice barriers.

Peace redoubled her efforts. Her eyes went wide when the ice began spreading faster. She sank down to one knee, determined to not be beaten by him.

Heart and Ocean ran to Tidus and began deflecting the arrows while Cloud and Reno went to do the same for Reno. However, even with their combined efforts, arrows still got through to chip away the ice.

Ocean stabbed the sword tip-first into the ground and then spun around, waving her arms to bring up a massive wall of water. It successfully blocked off any arrows and obscured them from view, but it wouldn't last long.

"Get Tidus out of here! I'll distract Xigbar!" Ocean ordered.

Heart nodded and dashed around to the back of the ice shield. She quickly untied Tidus and then set to work waking him up. She gently shook his shoulders, insistently calling his name.

"Tidus," she whispered. "Tidus! C'mon, you gotta wake up. I've got to get you out of here. Please, Tidus!"

The boy groaned. "Kairi…?"

Heart held her breath as he began stirring and finally opened his eyes. He blinked a few times in confusion and blearily looked around.

"Where am I?"

"There's no time to explain right now," Heart said, helping him up. "When I tell you to, run for the doors. I'll be right behind you."

"But-"

"I'll explain later, Tidus!" Heart walked over to peer around the ice and check on Ocean. She waited patiently for her cue, unaware of the calculating look in Tidus's eyes.

"How do you know my name?" Tidus asked.

Heart sighed and looked back at him. "I told you, I'll-" Her words died on her lips when she felt Tidus's hands on either side of her face, slowly removing her pink mask. She reached up to stop him, gently grasping his hands. "You shouldn't."

Tidus hesitated a moment and then lifted the mask away. He frowned when he saw her uncovered face, but said nothing. After a few seconds, he put it back.

"Tidus-"

"Heart! Move it!" Ocean shouted.

Heart pushed Tidus forward, ordering him to run. The blond managed to run for several feet before slipping on a puddle of water and falling onto his back.

Heart groaned. _'Of all the times for his clumsiness to kick in, it had to be now?' _She ran forward to help him, but was unprepared for the huge wall of ice which rose suddenly around him. Before she could stop herself, she crashed straight into it.

Before she was impaled by arrows, Tidus grabbed her ankles and pulled her to safety. Seconds later they were joined by a panting Ocean.

"New plan," she breathed.

Heart nodded in agreement. "Peace can't keep this up. Not both of these."

"And I can't get up there to get in an attack," Ocean said. "We need a way to lure him back down here."

"We need a way to _keep _him down here," Heart corrected. "Peace could freeze him, but she's busy. We need to get Tidus and Reno out of here first. As non-fighters they're in the most danger."

Ocean narrowed her eyes, more out of frustration than anger. "I know."

"Umm… I can fight," Tidus piped up. He blanched when the two girls looked at him. "I, um, I took kendo for a few years. Ad I think Reno knows how to fight. He had one of those fancy Electro-Magnetic Rod things with him earlier."

Heart's eyes darkened. "I'll kill him…"

Ocean rolled her eyes. "Save it for later. They can at least defend themselves long enough to escape. Here." She shoved her broadsword into Tidus's hands. "It wasn't meant for me."

Tidus stared at the sword in his hands, marveling over how it felt. Standing, he took an experimental swipe and felt a thrill at the way it sliced through the air. "Sweet."

"It's called _Brotherhood_." Ocean held out a hand to Heart and pulled her to her feet.

"Brotherhood…" Tidus repeated in awe.

The sword pulsed and shone a brighter blue, the shades swirling around like water.

"Lets get over to the others," Heart suggested.

Before the three could make a run for it, the icy shield around them gave a thunderous crack as it began falling apart.

Heart looked for Peace right away and found her standing like an ice sculpture at the door. With a start, she realized it was because the girl was entirely covered by ice and it was growing thicker by the second. _'No… No!' _

"Peace!" Heart screamed, trying to run for her friend.

Ocean grabbed her by the shirt and held her back. "Don't. There's nothing you can do."

"Well…" Xigbar appeared in the middle of the room, tapping one arrow gun against his shoulder. "Now she really is an _ice princess._"

Heart channeled her anger into her hands and stepped out from the crumbling barricade. Instead of spinning the energy into the usual ribbon, she sent a blast of pure power at him. She felt a sickening sense of glee when he crashed into the wall on the other side of the room.

"You want to play games?" She demanded as Ocean and Tidus joined her. She spun two ribbons of energy around her, letting them trail off behind her. "Lets play games, Xigbar!"

Before the Freeshooter could react, Heart was on him, using her ribbons to pin him against the wall. She tightly bound his hands and feet first and then sent one snaking around his neck.

"Why are you doing this?" She demanded. "What's the point? Tell me!"

Xigbar scoffed. "As if I'd really tell you!" Despite being caught, he was still able to smirk. "I see why the princeling keeps you around. All beauty no-"

Tidus slammed Brotherhood into the wall near Xigbar's face, drawing a thin line of blood on the man's cheek. "You shut up! I'm so damn sick of hearing you talk!"

"Fine. Then do it. Finish me off," Xigbar taunted. "Or are you too scared?"

Ocean moved to create a knife out of water, but was stopped by Cloud.

"Leave," he said simply. "Take Tidus and Reno and get out to the hall. Heart, Dancing Flames, you both stay."

Tidus pulled his new weapon from the wall and began walking for the door. Reno, on the other hand, protested loudly and was dragged from the room by Ocean.

Once they were gone, Cloud calmly pointed his sword at Xigbar's heart. "Anything you want to say?"

"Nope," Xigbar said cheerily.

Cloud narrowed his eyes and, without another word, plunged First Tsurugi through the man's chest.

Heart gasped and looked away from the sight, trying to chase the image from her mind. Her attempts failed and instead the image looped in her mind until Dancing Flames rested a hand on her shoulder.

"It's over," he said quietly.

Heart shook her head and shrugged off his hand. "No. It's not," she said as she walked away.

She stopped at the doorway to rest her hand on the ice encasing Peace. She slowly kneeled down until she was at eyelevel with her friend. "I-… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Peace. We should have acted faster. I-"

"You should stand back," Cloud spoke up. "She'll be reborn soon."

Heart stepped back and looked at him, her brows creased in a frown. "Reborn? What do you mean?"

"It's the next step. She'll no longer be a Soldier-in-Training. She's learned to push her abilities far past what she thought she could." Cloud dismissed his weapon and strode forward to lift Heart up and pull her back a few feet. "Watch."

Dancing Flames crossed his arms over his chest as he joined them, slightly put out that he didn't get to do much fighting.

A crack formed in the ice, starting at the top and slowly making a jagged path down to the bottom.

Nothing happened for a minute. Then the ice shattered. Several large chunks went flying in various directions. A figure in white emerged from the shimmering shards floating in the air.

Her mask was pure white, almost see-through, and looked as though it was made up of snowflakes. A pale blue stone shone on her forehead and was held on by a solid, silver band. Her dress was a plain white, sleeveless, turtleneck with a skirt that split in six places up to her hip. Underneath she wore a pale blue skirt. Her gloves were white, covering up to her wrist, and her boots were made of a thin, white material.

"Peace?" Heart questioned, stepping forward.

Icy blue eyes stared blankly at her. After a moment, Peace blinked a few times and the blue returned to its usual warmth.

"Peace!" Heart sobbed and ran forward to hug the girl. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

Peace blinked in surprise and hugged the girl back. "I'm glad too, Heart. But is everyone safe? Where's Xigbar?"

"We'll explain on the way out," Cloud said, shooing Dancing Flames ahead. "There's a lot to go over. Such as why Tidus is using Ocean's sword." He looked pointedly at Heart.

The pink-suited warrior gave a small laugh of unease before taking Peace's hand to pull her out to the hall.

Cloud quickly followed. He would have his answer, one way or another.

* * *

Elena let the door to the Strife house shut behind her as she slipped off her shoes. After searching for Tidus for several hours and hearing bits and pieces of a strained conversation between Ventus and Terra, she was ready to get a few answers.

She took a deep breath, pushing back her long hair, and then began her ascent to the second floor where she knew she would at least find Zexion. He'd been there every night since he recovered his memories, busily typing up things and trying to recover data from Radiant Garden.

"Zexion," she called as she walked into the room.

The teenager briefly looked away from the computer screen to acknowledge her presence and then went back to typing. Riku sat beside him, occasionally pointing something out.

Elena cleared her throat. "Selphie told me the story of the Soldiers and Knights before us."

Riku stiffened.

Zexion stopped typing and slowly spun around to face her. "I thought as much. Perhaps telling Selphie wasn't the proper thing to do, though it seemed wise at the time. I'm afraid I can't tell you anything more, however."

"Funny thing, _everyone _has been telling me they can't tell me anything else." Elena scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. "I never really bought that though. If you all know about the first Soldiers, then you can tell me how Soldier's came to be."

"You're not meant to know," Zexion told her.

Elena took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. It didn't work very well. "Ventus knows. Terra knows. And both of you, as well as the other Guardians, know! Why is it that you can't tell the rest of us? Do you think we won't be able to handle it?"

Zexion didn't look at all bothered by her raised voice. "It's not my story to tell."

"Then whose is it?" Elena demanded. "Who haven't I asked?"

Riku stood at last, his eyes hidden behind his bangs. "Enough, Elena. It doesn't matter how Soldiers came to be or what they did in the past. We need to look to the future. We need to protect the worlds from danger to the best of our ability and find a way to restore our kingdom."

"Fine," Elena said tersely. She turned on her heel and stomped away, sparks flying through her hair.

Zexion waited until he heard the front door slam before he turned back around to the computer. "You know we cannot keep it a secret forever. If we don't tell her, Xehanort will. And she is right; it will be worse if he tells her in the middle of battle."

"I know."

* * *

Back in the mazelike hallways of Xigbar's slowly crumbling lair, the rescue group was still trying to find their way out. Cloud led the way, letting the others do the explaining. He already had his answer as to why Tidus was still carrying the sword, and though he wasn't entirely happy with it, he was willing to leave it be.

"So lemme get this straight, you guys are all these mysterious warriors who run around town fighting monsters," Reno said. "And that guy kidnapped us to lure you in and beat you." He scratched his head in confusion. "I don't get it."

Dancing Flames grumbled in annoyance and launched into a tirade that had his brother, and anyone listening, extremely confused.

Tidus tugged on Heart's sleeve. "Is this why you've been so distracted lately?"

Heart nodded. "Yeah. I'm really sorry. I couldn't tell you."

"Nah, it's fine," Tidus said, giving her a reassuring smile. "I probably wouldn't have believed you anyway. Then we would've fought and I'd feel even worse right now."

"I'd forgive you," Heart said quietly. "I'd think I was crazy too. I _did _think I was crazy. Things were so confusing…"

"So now they're less confusing? 'Cuz I honestly don't know what's going on anymore. Maybe you could explain things a bit better? Axel sucks at it." Tidus grinned when the redhead turned around and glared at him.

"Heart might not be the best one. She hasn't quite remembered everything yet," Ocean mentioned.

Surprised by the information, Heart glanced over at the blue Soldier. "What do you mean? I'm pretty sure I've remembered everything."

"Even about White Rose?"

Heart frowned. "White Rose? What does she have to do with anything?"

Ocean smiled mysteriously and gracefully skipped forward to join Dancing Flames and Reno and hopefully clear up some things for the oldest Sinclair.

'_What am I not remembering?'_

_

* * *

_

_End Chapter_

_

* * *

_

Another long chapter for you guys! Sorry for the long wait. I almost got to the end and then realized I had forgotten the scene with Elena talking to Zexion and Riku so I had to go back and write that. Then I had to finish up with Heart, Tidus, and the others walking through the hall.

By the way, I've been waiting to use the line "let's mosey" for most of this story.

I'll try to get the next chapter done a little faster. This time I don't have a convention to draw stuff for, so I have no excuse as to why I'm not writing.

**Next chapter - **_Reality 18_

_(Forget the scene I keep typing up. Apparently it doesn't want to be written. Sorry!)_

_Another family member is kidnapped and it's up to Love, Earth, Sky, and Sora to go rescue her! Meanwhile, final exams are still going on and the Seniors are more stressed than ever._


	28. Reality 18

**For Love**

Reality 18 - _Wednesday, May 6_

Yuffie cast a weary look to the overcast sky as she jogged to the large oak where she was meeting Zidane. The blond was nowhere in sight, but she felt sure that he was somewhere in the area.

She made it under the tree without any raindrops hitting her. Just when she thought it was safe to relax and wait, the leaves above her rustled loudly and tapped her back. She jumped away with a shriek, bringing up her hands to fight off her attacker.

She scowled when she saw that it was only Zidane hanging from the tree by his tail, laughing uproariously.

"You should've seen the look on your face! It was great!" He quickly pulled himself back up onto the tree when Yuffie swung a fist at him. "Aw, c'mon, Yu. It's all in good fun!"

"How about you stand under the tree and _I _scare _you_!" Yuffie suggested. "Come down here!"

The leaves rustled again. "I will on one condition. You gotta promise not to punch me. Or kick me. Or summon your shuriken of death."

Yuffie raised an eyebrow. "Shuriken of death?" She repeated dryly. "Okay, whatever. I won't hurt you."

For one last time, the leaves rustled and Zidane jumped out of the tree, gracefully landing on his feet. "So what's up? You seem worried."

"Things are so different this time. Everyone is different. What if the feelings I have for Kairi are just remnants of the past? What if things aren't supposed to be the same this time? What if sh-"

"Yuffie, you're thinking about the 'what if's' too much," Zidane interrupted. "Don't think about that stuff! It doesn't matter anyways. You really like Kairi and she seems curious about you, so take the chance this life is giving you! I thought you enjoy taking chances."

"I enjoy jumping off of high places and fighting," Yuffie corrected. "I can't take chances with her. I don't want to mess things up between us. We're not like you and Garnet."

"Me and Gar-" He froze suddenly, his blue eyes going wide.

Yuffie looked at him in concern. "Something wrong?"

"Oh _shit. _I've gotta go! Dagger's really gonna kill me this time!" Without so much as a goodbye, he took off running, stumbling against the edge of the sidewalk in his haste.

"Thanks for your help!" Yuffie yelled sarcastically.

Zidane waved over his shoulder, but didn't consider turning around for one second. Garnet may have been a mild-mannered, very sweet and quiet girl, but even she had her breaking point. He was going on his third strike since she arrived and couldn't afford to piss her off again.

Yuffie sighed and took a seat at the base of the tree. Though she felt like screaming out her frustration for everyone to hear, she restrained herself. Tilting her head back to look up at the full canopy of the tree, she let out a much softer sigh.

'_Now what? Z's the only one I can talk to about this. None of the others are really around… I could go talk to Axel, I guess.' _She shook her head. _'No. Too weird. Demyx maybe?' _Again she hit a dead end. _'I'm sure he's busy trying to help the prince. He doesn't need my worries dumped on him too.'_

She grumbled discontentedly and closed her eyes, wishing they had more time.

Yuffie sat there for a few minutes, eyes closed, trying to think of something to do. If none of her friends were able to help her out, she'd have to think of something herself. She was a smart and clever girl. Surely she could come up with an idea of her own.

Ten minutes passed and she still had nothing.

In her agitated state, she didn't notice the person approaching her until he said something.

"Clearly you are in need of psychological help."

Yuffie's eyes shot open when she heard the familiar voice. "Cloud! Thank Leviathan!" She jumped to her feet and was about to go hug him when she spotted a rusty-haired teenager peeking out from behind her Guardian.

Trying to get her scrambled thoughts in order, she blurted out the first thing she could think of. Unfortunately, it was in Wutaian.

Cloud chuckled good-naturedly, unable to understand a word of what was said, but knowing from experience that it most likely wasn't fit for children's ears.

Denzel, on the other hand, frowned and seemed to be mulling the words over.

"Why are you out here?" Cloud asked her.

The question snapped her firmly back to reality. "Why am I-? Wait. Why are you two here? How do you even _know_ each other?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "I know Tifa too. Not only is she a teacher at the high school my little brothers attend, she has also resumed her habit of asking me out whenever she spots me. I got out of it today by saying I wanted to take Denzel out for the day."

"And we've done nothing but walk around," complained the teen. "Can't we go do something fun? Or at least go back to that photo booth I saw. _Please_, Cloud."

"I grew up with Sora and Zack. That doesn't work."

Yuffie stifled a laugh at the crestfallen look on Denzel's face. It was then that she got an idea. "Hey, Cloud, can I borrow Denzel for the rest of the day?"

Cloud gave her a suspicious look, not sure if he liked the way she was smiling. Though he had to admit, a happy Yuffie was much less destructive than a bored or unhappy one. "Fine. Just get him back to Tifa's before nightfall."

"Deal!" Yuffie happily grabbed Denzel's hand and began pulling him away. "I'll make it up to you later, Cloud!"

Instead of reassuring him, the comment had Cloud worrying more. Whatever Yuffie was up to, he wasn't sure that he wanted to be around to see the end result.

* * *

Selphie wasn't having the greatest of weeks. First, she missed out on rescuing Tidus and Reno and seeing Naminé evolve into a fully fledged Soldier. Then Cloud kicked everyone out of Headquarters for a break. Demyx immediately took the opportunity to drag Zexion out on a date while Axel dragged Riku away to talk over lunch. Meanwhile, all of her other friends were busy at school taking final exams.

'_Maybe Axel and Riku finished lunch already…' _She mused as she slid her hands into the pockets of her skirt.

It had been two hours since Cloud made everyone leave the house and all she had been doing was walking around the boardwalk, ignoring the everyday bustle of people as they went about their business. She didn't even feel like shopping!

A leather jacket in a store window caught her eye and she quickly looked away. _'I hope Squall's okay.'_

She paid no mind when raindrops began falling from the sky. A few little drops wouldn't hurt anything. In fact, they felt rather nice against her skin. It was only when all of the water seemed to break free of the clouds that she ducked into the nearest store to avoid being completely drenched.

"Escaping the rain?" Asked a sweet voice.

Selphie turned around and smiled at the girl behind the counter, deciding that her usual excuse for avoiding rain would work just fine. "Yeah, Can't let the rain mess up my hair!"

The girl laughed and set aside the rag she had been using to clean the counter. "While you're waiting for it to clear, feel free to look around. And if you have any questions, go ahead and ask! I should be able to answer them."

"Thanks." Selphie looked around, finally taking note of the many glass cases of jewelry around the room. "Which jewelry store is this?"

"Loire Emporium," replied the girl. "And I'm Ellone."

Selphie walked over to the counter and held out her hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you! I'm Selphie."

"Selphie?" Ellone repeated in surprise. "You're not… Selphie Tilmitt, are you?"

"Huh?" It was Selphie's turn to be surprised. "Actually, I am. How do you know my name?"

Ellone shyly adjusted the green shawl around her shoulders. "I- Don't you remember? We met a long, long time ago on the shores of Balamb. I stopped you from poking a jellyfish after someone dared you to do it."

Selphie tapped her fingers on the counter in thought. "The shores? But the only place that could've been was… Oh! I remember now!" She snapped her fingers excitedly. "The orphanage! You're Ellone! Squall used to call you 'Sis' and Seif-" She stopped and bowed her head. "Seifer…"

The smile on Ellone's face slipped away. "Did something happen?"

Selphie hesitantly nodded. "Y-yeah."

Before Ellone could question her on what happened, Selphie plastered a smile on her face and backed up to the door.

"Rain's stopped! I've got to get going. Stuff to do, y'know!"

The bell above the door chimed and the sound of rain pattering against the sidewalk filtered into the shop.

"Wait!" Ellone shouted.

Selphie stopped walking.

"It always seems to be raining when Squall gets upset about something," Ellone remarked. "And there was always one place he went."

Selphie stood there for a moment longer before nodded and walking away. _'She always did have the answer…'_

_

* * *

_

Denzel raised an eyebrow at the two-story house he and Yuffie were standing outside of. He took in the scorch marks on the roof and lawn, as well as the busted and charred pink flamingo's and lawn gnomes before looking up at Yuffie. "You know that Cloud's house is the one _next _to this, right?"

"Of course! But we're not going to Cloud's house." Yuffie confidently pointed to the front door. "We're going there!"

"…why?" Denzel asked. "Please tell me this isn't some bizarre ninja game where you climb on random people's roofs."

Yuffie put her hands on her hips and gave Denzel an annoyed look. "Of course not! I'm not dumb enough to do that again!"

"_Again_, she says," muttered Denzel.

"This is where Kairi lives. I heard from the grapevine that she's gonna have a study session over here after school today," Yuffie said.

"'From the grapevine'? What the hell does that even mean?"

Yuffie ignored his question and marched forward to knock on the door.

Denzel sighed and followed her, hoping he wouldn't have to talk their way out of trouble. After all the stories Tifa had told him about the girl's crazy adventures, he couldn't help but be worried.

The door was opened by a tall woman with blonde hair and bright green eyes. "Hello."

"Hi!" Yuffie chirped. "I'm a friend of Axel and Kairi. Are either of them home?"

Mrs. Sinclair thought for a moment. "Axel should be in his room… if he hasn't snuck out again, that is."

"Great!" Yuffie grabbed Denzel's hand and pulled him into the house past a stunned Mrs. Sinclair. "Upstairs, right? Thanks!"

"S-sorry 'bout this!" Denzel managed to stammer out.

Upstairs, Yuffie walked to the only closed door and threw it open, boldly announcing her presence. "Yo!"

"Don't you ever knock?" Axel grumbled.

Yuffie looked around, rolling her eyes at all of the video game posters covering the walls. "Could you be any more of an otaku?"

"Possibly," Axel replied. "Who's the kid?"

"Oh, this is Denzel. Denzel Lockhart. Denz, this is Kairi's brother, Axel," Yuffie introduced.

Axel crossed his arms over his chest and gave Yuffie an accusatory look. "You're just here to harass her, huh? Keep it up and you'll scare her off."

"That's why I got here early! See, I'll just pretend that I came over here to hang out with you!"

Axel rolled his eyes. "Yuffie, not even Demyx would buy that excuse."

Yuffie pouted. "Oh, come on! It's totally believable!"

"Whatever. Just don't drag me down with you this time. Roxas is already annoyed with me over this whole 'lighting the roof on fire' thing," Axel said dismissively. "Hey, uh, Denzel, you like video games?"

"Sometimes," replied the teen. "Most of the one's I've played have complicated button combinations, so my friends always beat me. It's too much for me to remember."

Axel grunted in understanding and then stretched out his body until he could press the button which turned on his game system. He pulled free two controllers, pausing a moment to untangle the chords, and handed the green one to Denzel. "Here. We're playing Dead or Alive." He quickly explained the different basic controls and then of the different characters and the different styles of fighting.

Denzel listened and watched the opening flash across the television screen. For a moment he awed over the graphics and then took a seat on the floor, tuning back in just in time to hear Axel talk about his favorite characters.

When Axel showed no signs of shutting up, Yuffie leaned forward and whispered, "Pick Hitomi. You'll like her."

Denzel nodded. "Kay. Let's go!"

Axel grinned and chose an orange-haired girl in a blue dress while Denzel chose a brunette in jeans and a green tank top.

Yuffie leaned against the wall and watched as Denzel got better with each match that went by until he was able to beat Axel two rounds in a row.

Instead of complaining, Axel congratulated Denzel for defeating him, clapped him on the back, and chose the 'character select' menu so he could switch to his main character, a male ninja with a long ponytail.

A few matches in, Yuffie picked up on the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. She stepped out into the hallway, hoping it was Kairi, only to be disappointed when she saw that it was only Selphie and a tall, bald man.

Yuffie's shoulders slumped. "I thought you were Kairi."

"She should be home soon," Selphie said. She skipped over to Axel's door, leaving behind the bald man, and her eyes lit up when she saw what game the guys were playing. "I call the next match!"

Yuffie stayed out in the hall, trying her best not to stare at the man while thinking about where she had seen him before. He looked so familiar! It wasn't like she met very many bald people, so why couldn't she remember?

"So…" She strummed her fingers on the doorframe. "You're one of Selphie's friends?"

"No," he said. "I'm Reno's partner. We just happened to arrive here at the same time."

'_Reno?' _Yuffie frowned, wondering where she had heard that name before. _'Oh! Kairi's other brother!' _"I guess we're both here waiting for someone, huh?"

"I'm used to it."

Yuffie wracked her brain for something to keep the conversation going, but came up with very little. "So, um… I'm Yuffie."

"Rude," he said with a slight nod.

"Sorry," Yuffie quickly apologized, thinking she was being too pushy.

The man sighed. "No. It's my name."

"Your name is Rude?"

"Yes."

Yuffie paused a moment and then grinned at him. "I'm sorry."

Rude chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Reno said the same thing."

* * *

After spending some time talking to Axel about secluded places along the beach, Selphie set off to hunt down her reclusive Commander. She had a few places in mind. She just hoped he was in one of them.

The first place she tried, she only found a bunch of surfers hunting for big waves.

The second not only had no people, but no Squall as well.

The third required a boat to get to.

She hurriedly untied her rowboat and then jumped down into it. The rain began falling harder as she got the oars into position. Cursing the fact that she had no raincoat, Selphie began her journey to the small island, fighting waves the entire way.

Once she reached the small dock, she tied down her boat and began her search. She checked up in the trees first, and then made her way back down to check Sora and Riku's so-called "secret spot", the one everyone knew about, but found nothing.

She paused to squint out through the rain, then brushed her sopping hair from her face and traipsed over to the other side of the tiny island.

It was there, among the sheltering coconut trees near the shore, that she found him.

"Squall," Selphie breathed in relief, jogging over to him. "Squall!" She slid to a stop beside him and kneeled down. "Squall, please, you can't do this to yourself. You've been missing for days! Everyone's been so worried that something happened to you." She paused a moment to push back her hair again. "Come back with me. Please. I know you miss him. I miss him too! But that doesn't mean we can just sit here and-"

"Selphie," Squall hoarsely interjected. "I hope you never feel this pain."

Selphie's blood ran cold at his words. Her bright green eyes went wide, filled with worry. "D-don't say that. Everything will be fine. It has to be!" She lowered her head, afraid to reach out and touch him. He looked so… fragile. "Please don't leave me…!"

Squall flinched, startled by her statement.

"If you fall, then what am I supposed to believe in?" She fiercely demanded. "You're one of the strongest people I know! I-If you go away…" She shivered and shook her head, raising her eyes to meet his. "I looked up to you! You were the first Soldier I ever met! I wanted to be like you. Strong. Cool. Confident. You… you were my hero. Don't prove me wrong! Fight on!"

Squall tiredly rested a hand on Selphie's head before letting it fall back to his side. "I'm not that strong."

"Liar," Selphie accused. "You're the strongest!"

Squall frowned. "I'm not very confident."

"Oh puh-lease. Have you seen how well you take command? And in all that leather too."

"Confidence has nothing to do with it."

"Confidence has everything to do with it." Selphie crossed her arms over her chest, daring him to refute her claim.

Squall was silent for a few minutes.

Just when Selphie was about to take another shot at convincing him to go back to the Strife's house, he spoke again.

"You shouldn't believe in people so much. We're not as strong as you think." As he spoke, he stood up and attempted to brush the wet sand from his pants.

Selphie quickly got to her feet and had to grasp on Squall's arm to keep from falling over as her head momentarily went fuzzy. "So, you're going back?" She asked, releasing his arm.

Squall nodded.

"Great! I'll walk with you! Cloud kicked all of us out earlier and I didn't get to find out when his birthday is!"

Squall chuckled, the sound feeling rough and unfamiliar even to him.

Selphie looked at him in amazement, her mouth partially open. "You laughed… You laughed! At me! I made you laugh!"

Squall cleared his throat and quickly began walking across the beach.

"You know what this means, right?" Selphie asked, easily able to keep up with him. This means I'm right to believe in you!"

Squall shook his head. _'I'll never understand how her mind works. How can anyone believe in me so much?'_

Unbidden, something said to him just before the battle against the sorceress echoed in his mind.

"_People follow you. They look up to you. You're a natural-born leader, Squall! One of a kind!"_

"_Yeah, and he's mine, Trepe. Get your own man!"_

He could picture the look on Quistis's face at those words. Could remember the feel of Seifer's strong arms around him. Could hear the teasing laughter of Raijin and Fujin's quiet admonishment. Could smell Selphie's flowery perfume as she bounded over to see what was going on.

"Squall?"

The question in Selphie's voice brought him back down to earth.

"Are you okay? You seem kind of dazed," she said.

"I was just remembering something," Squall said. _'Either that or I'm losing my mind.'_

* * *

Kairi shifted uncomfortably on the floor of her room while Naminé began her review of Literature. Olette was resting her head on the blonde's shoulders, reading the notes and offering up helpful hints. To their left was Sora, who was doodling on his practice test. Roxas was next to him, breezing through the pages.

Next to Roxas, Tidus was making a paper football under the table and was planning on flicking it to Wakka, despite Lulu being between them. On the other side of Lulu and Wakka was Elena, who was sitting to Kairi's right.

The source of Kairi's discomfort was Yuffie, who was sprawled across the bed holding a dolphin plushie.

"So is this what you've been doing all week?" Asked the Wutaian. "Seems kind of like overkill to me. I'd never be able to study like that."

"We just want to get the best grades possible. This means a lot, you know. The grades we get help decide where some of us will be going to college," Olette said matter-of-factly.

"Not me. I'm going to East Destiny no matter what," Sora said. "So is Roxas."

"Perhaps," the blond said vaguely.

The room went quiet and everyone looked at Roxas in surprise. No one was more shocked than Sora.

"B-but Axel goes there! And I'll be going there! What happened to our plan? Cloud doesn't make enough to send you to a higher class school!"

"I know that!" Roxas snapped. "Lets not talk about this now. Most likely I will be going to East Destiny."

"No!" Naminé slammed her hands onto the table. "Roxas, if you have a chance to go someplace great, then take it! Why would you let it slip by like that? You've got to go!"

Roxas coolly set down his pencil and slid his practice test away. "The future isn't set in stone. I'm leaving my options open. Now, can we get back to studying?"

Tidus flicked the paper football at Wakka. "I don't see what we have left to study. Can't we take a break for a day?"

"We've barely even started," Lulu reminded.

Already frustrated by the idea that Roxas would lower his goals, Naminé snapped at him. "If you don't want to study, why are you here?"

"Because you're _making _me!" Tidus exclaimed, exasperation rising in his voice. "And if I didn't come here for these study sessions, I'd be sitting at home bored out of my mind. At least if I come here there's a chance I can convince someone to do something fun!"

Lulu picked up her papers and tapped them against the table to straighten them up. Her natural calmness kept Naminé from snapping at the Blitzball player again. "We're not here to have fun, Tidus. We are here to study. Please do not continue to interrupt us."

Tidus grumbled discontentedly and began making a new paper football. He wasn't about to pack up and leave. He knew it wouldn't be long before Sora was just as bored as he was, if he wasn't already.

He looked up from his paper folding in time to see Wakka flick the first paper football across the table and nail Sora in the head. He grinned to himself. It seemed Wakka was feeling about the same way.

Kairi tried her best to focus on reviewing her notes. It wasn't the three boys who were distracting her. No, it was the somewhat crazy Wutaian laying across her bed who had been taking up her attention from the moment she walked into the room.

Without realizing it, her gaze drifted up to Yuffie. She could tell that the dark-haired girl was bored but couldn't understand why she wasn't leaving the room. Surely she had something better to do than lay there and watch them.

Yuffie met her eyes and she felt her cheeks heat up. Quickly, she looked away, pretending that she hadn't just been caught staring.

'_What is wrong with me?' _Kairi wondered. Shaking her head, she dove back into her many pages of notes. "Naminé, what's this 'G.T.' stand for again?"

"Gulliver's Travels," replied the blonde.

"Hey, I know about that story," Yuffie chirped. "That's that, um, satire thing about, um, politics and, uh, other stuff. Right?"

"Er, yeah." Kairi didn't try to explain the popular satire to her, only remembering bits and pieces of it. In fact, as long as the girl remained in the room, she didn't feel that she would be able to remember anything. "Look, Yuffie, do you think you could find something else to do? You're distracting us from our work."

She felt, rather than saw the feeling of hurt that washed over Yuffie. She stared at her hands as the girl whispered an apology and slowly left the room, pausing at the door for a moment in hopes of being called back. Only when the door was closed once again did Kairi let out the breath of air she didn't realize she had been holding.

"So, where were we?" Kairi asked, looking up with a troubled smile. "Gulliver's Travels, right?"

Olette shook her head and lifted her head from Naminé's shoulders. "Kairi, you didn't have to shoo her out like that. She wasn't bothering anyone."

Sora nodded in agreement. "Yeah! She could've helped us study, too. I mean, Riku helps us sometimes. I think we could get a whole different point of view if she helped us."

"Go after her," Elena said, gently nudging the redhead. "She's your partner, even if you don't know it yet."

"Everyone keeps trying to push us together, saying we belong together." Kairi stood up, an expression of confusion on her face.

"You work best together. Your fighting styles are sort of, uh, complimentary or something," Sora spoke up. "C'mon, Kai. You can't let a friend leave here when they're upset. It's one of our rules, remember?"

Kairi rolled her eyes. "And how many times have _you _broken that rule by making Roxas mad enough to stomp out of the house?"

Sora grinned. "Aw, that's different. Now go on."

Kairi hesitated a moment, but after a bit more convincing from her friends, she gave in and went running after Yuffie, intending on apologizing for hurting her feelings.

* * *

A purple lance pierced the wall near Zexion's head, slicing off a few precious strands of his blue-gray hair. He stopped walking and stared across the road at a tall, dark-haired man standing near a street lamp. After a moment, the man vanished.

"Zexion! Zexion!" Demyx shook his shoulder, leaning over to anxiously look into the shorter man's eyes. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" He searched Zexion's face, boldly running his thumbs over his cheeks to check for blood.

Zexion flinched at the contact and looked away. "I'm fine, Demyx." He turned his attention to the lance, in particular the note hanging by a string. He yanked it free and unrolled the note to begin deciphering the messy handwriting.

Demyx moved to stand by his side, his sea-blue eyes roving over the paper. "Who's Ellone?" He asked after a minute.

"I don't know." Zexion grasped the lance and yanked it free of the wall. "We need to go talk to Cloud."

Demyx nodded. "Yeah. He'll know what to do. Who do you think he'll send?"

"So far he has sent those who haven't gone to rescue someone." Zexion began walking at a brisk pace, leading the way to inform Cloud of the recent development. "Either Sora or Riku will lead the group. I'd personally prefer if Sora goes. His shielding would come in extremely useful against this enemy."

"Why?" Demyx asked. "Is he that tough?"

Zexion nodded, giving the spear a small wave. "He uses seven of these at a time and can control each one independently. He's also a wind user."

"So… Sky should go too, right? Because he can feel the changes in the wind. And umm…" Demyx thought it over for a moment, completely missing the expression of surprise that flitted across Zexion's face. "Probably Earth. I don't think he's left Sky's side since they were reunited. And he's pretty strong. So that leaves someone fast, who can help Sora with defense. I don't think Love has gone yet. Then again, Axel's the only Knight who's gone. I could go."

"No. You'll take the next one," Zexion commanded, a tad more harshly than he intended. _'Though I'd rather you sit them all out. Ael- Lexaeus is no pushover either.'_

Demyx glanced over and seemed to recognize the emotions in his eyes. Slipping his hand into Zexion's, he gave it a comforting squeeze and affectionately bumped against him. "I'm going to fight, Zexion. It's my duty. I'm going to protect you and everyone else."

"I wish you wouldn't."

Demyx stopped walking. His abrupt stop caused Zexion to cease walking as well and then turn around as Demyx pulled him close, no sign of joy in his sea-blue eyes.

"We all have to fight. We have to protect our worlds and everyone we love. You can't stop me any more than I can stop you. But Zexion, when this is over…"

As Demyx hesitated, unsure of how to broach the subject appropriately so as to not scare Zexion away, the bluenet's overactive mind came up with several scenarios as to what was about to be said, each one worse than the last.

'_Does he not want to be with me?'_

'_Is he moving away? Or dying?'_

'_Does he think that he might have to sacrifice himself to save me? To save someone else?'_

"I want to stay with you, by your side," Demyx finished, squeezing Zexion's hand a little more tightly. He used Zexion's silence to his advantage, charging ahead, determined to say everything he wanted to say. "I want to help you rebuild Radiant Garden! I know lots of people don't think it's possible, but I think it'd be worth the try. But if you decide not to then I'll go with you wherever you want to go. All I want is to stay with you. To help you in whatever way I can. I mean, I know I'm not really all that helpful and I kind of get in the way more than I help, but I-"

Zexion silenced Demyx by standing on his tiptoes and pulling the blond down slightly so he could grace a cheek with a soft kiss.

Demyx blinked owlishly at him, lips still parted from his unfinished sentence. Slowly, they pressed together into a smile before pulled apart to reveal white teeth. "You kissed me! In public!"

Zexion blushed and began walking again, not at all minding when Demyx changed his grip to thread their fingers together. He stole a glance at the grinning blond, who was easily keeping pace, and was surprised to feel a giddy, warm sensation bubbling up in his chest.

'_This is the reason I'm not with the others. Why I still have my heart.'_

Demyx caught his glance and Zexion quickly looked away, a blush rising to his cheeks.

'_Love is… a silly thing. But maybe it's not as bad as I originally believed.'_

_

* * *

_

Sky Soldier's booted feet pounded against the mazelike stone walkway, squeaking every now and then when he decided to change direction. He had split away from Love, Earth, and Sora some time before in order to search for the kidnapped girl.

Cloud's words before sending them off still sent a chill down his spine, for reasons he didn't understand.

"_This girl, Ellone, is very important. Be sure that absolutely __**nothing **__happens to her."_

Sky paused when he came to another dead end. He ran a gloved hand through his hair in frustration, eyes narrowing behind his yellow mask. "Why the hell'd it have to be a maze?"

For a moment he stood there and looked out into the seemingly endless black abyss, recounting all of the twists and turns he had already made. As he turned around to find a new path, something shining in the darkness caught his attention.

'_Should I go down and see what it is? It could be a trap. But if it is the girl, this might be my only chance to get down there. If Cloud says she's important, then I __**have **__to take the risk.' _He took a deep breath and prepared to dive into the unknown. _'This is my duty. I'm a Soldier. The Soldier of Wind! If anyone can get down there safely, it's me.'_

Murmuring a prayer of forgiveness to Aqua, who would never condone such reckless behavior, he took a running leap into the black abyss.

* * *

'_This blows.' _Sky cast his eyes around, trying to find a glimmer of light amidst the darkness. He could barely make out his hands, let alone the path he was walking along. If it weren't for his ability to sense the wind, he doubted he would ever find his way out.

He paused a moment, stretching out his senses to listen for and feel the wind as it flowed along the tangling halls, bumping into dead ends and curving around into slight vortex's. Just ahead was a split in the hall. One led to the right to join a new maze. The left one seemed like a dead end at first, until he noticed how the air current was acting.

Frowning, Sky Soldier made his way to the corner, pausing now and then to check where he was. It didn't take him long to find the place.

He felt along the wall, trying to find the source of the strange airflow.

At last he found it. An indention in the wall, which he could grip and easily slide the panel to the side.

A fresh burst of air flowed over his face, and to further settle his nerves, he spotted a light at the end of the hallway.

Sky progressed slowly, letting his eyes adjust to the light. He kept his senses alert for any sign of danger. With any luck, the others had successfully found Xaldin and were fighting him, which would keep him plenty distracted from Sky's rescue attempt.

'_I hope they're okay. I should be there to interfere with his use of wind.'_

As he reached the end of the hall and was able to make out a pure white room on the other side, he heard a voice calling for help. He hastened his pace, wanting nothing more than to go home and curl up on the couch to the sound of Aqua playing harp and Terra playing piano.

"Is someone there? Please help me. I don't know where I am or how I got here."

Sky jogged into the white room and then stopped, momentarily blinded by the glare. He blinked, trying to adjust while he took in his surroundings.

There, chained to one was, was a girl with straight brown hair. There was a green shawl lying on the floor at her feet.

"You're Ellone?" Sky asked.

The girl looked surprised and, for a moment, said nothing, unsure if she could trust him. Finally, she nodded. "Y-yes."

Sky relaxed and walked over to help her get free. "I'm Sky Soldier. Me and my friends are here to help you." He tried to pull apart the cuffs, but found it to be a lost cause. "I don't suppose you know where he hid the key?"

Ellone shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Sky said, running a hand through his hair while looking around for anyplace the key could be hidden. Aside from the chains and the door across from them, there was nothing else in the room.

For the first time he found himself wishing he had a cell phone so he could contact the others and find out how they were doing. Maybe they had already found Xaldin. He had been running around on his own for so long that it wouldn't have surprised him if they'd already beaten him. And maybe Love had made it through her rebirth.

Sky shook his head. It wasn't the time to be wondering about how the others were doing. First, he had to free Ellone.

Summoning his sword, which glinted yellow in the lighting, he took a swipe at the chains. Metal struck metal, showering sparks everywhere and eliciting a yelp from the girl. He stepped forward and gave them an experimental tug to see if the strike had done any damage, but they didn't move.

He backed up and tried to come up with a different idea. He knew of one way that may work, but he would need her help in order to pull it off.

"I need you to kneel down as much as you can so the chains are tight above your head," he told her. "This move has a rather wide arc, and I don't want to accidentally hurt you. This should be able to cut through them though."

Ellone worried her lower lip, thinking it over. She didn't have much of an option though, as she could either trust him and possibly get free or remain chained to the wall. She decided to take her chances with the possibility of freedom.

Sky gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, steadying his breathing until he felt calm. Energy swirled around the blade, converting into a funnel of air as it spun around. It soon built up enough speed and he released his attack.

"_Gale Slice!"_

The air sliced through the chains, sending Ellone to her knees. She quickly recovered and picked up her shawl as she stood, wincing at the loud clacking of the few feet of chain still attached to her wrists.

Sky dismissed his weapon before walking forward and gently taking her wrist. "Come on. We need to get out of here." He eyed the way he had entered from and decided against going back that way. Traveling in a pitch black maze wasn't fun the first time around and he had no desire to repeat the experience. So he chose the door instead.

It seemed innocent enough, though he had no idea what was on the other side.

'_The way out, with any luck,' _he thought. _'I have to try. It's the only other way I see.'_

Sky took a deep breath and strode forward, every fiber of his being tense and ready to move in case a fight was ahead.

* * *

"Yuffie!" Kairi yelled in frustration. She'd been chasing the girl for several blocks, but hadn't gotten very far. For someone who was supposedly interested in being friends, Yuffie sure was doing a good job of putting distance between them.

"Yuffie, wait!" She yelled again.

Still no response.

Kairi growled and started sprinting. There was no way she was going back home without at least talking to her. For reasons she couldn't explain, or even comprehend in her present state, she had to fix things between them.

"Yuffie!" Without really knowing what she was doing, she reached out when she was close enough and grabbed the Wutaian by the shoulder, spinning her around. "I've been chasing you for five minutes! Why didn't you stop?"

Yuffie crossed her arms over her chest. "You told me to find something else to do, remember? I was being a distraction."

"Look, I'm sorry I said that. I wasn't thinking," Kairi told her.

"You're not sorry. You're just trying to appease Peace so she doesn't freeze you out or something," Yuffie said knowingly. "You've talked to me. You can go home."

"Will you just shut up for one minute!" Kairi yelled in frustration. "What is with you? One minute you're trying to be my best friend or something and the next you're practically telling me to go away! It's like the minute I'm trying to try, you go off and decide you want nothing to do with me! It's driving me insane!"

"I haven't done that this time. Not until now, anyway."

Kairi's brows furrowed in confusion and she shook her head, trying to figure out what she was trying to say. "I- This time?"

Yuffie sighed and uncrossed her arms. "In the past, I did do that. I was about ready to give up on you ever trusting White Rose. I had thought that if you got to know me as just Yuffie, things would change between us. But nothing did. And then I was even more confused. But this time you know me as both Yuffie and White Rose and you're practically doing the same thing! We get on perfectly well as Yuffie and Kairi, but the moment we have to go off and fight there's this weird tension between us and I don't understand why you can't just let what happened in the past go!" She sucked in a ragged breath and turned away.

Silence permeated the air between them, thick and cloying.

Kairi fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, wanting to say something but not knowing what would be appropriate. What Yuffie said was true, for the most part. They hadn't fought together much since the day Yuffie invited her to Seventh Heaven, but when they had to face down small swarms of Heartless, she found it hard to work with the girl without feeling a sort of apprehension.

She had a feeling the problem resided in the past. The past she still couldn't completely remember. Bits and pieces were coming back to her every night, but most of them had nothing to do with the girl standing before her. They contained faint memories of her childhood, growing up with Prince Ienzo, Sora, and Roxas and the first time she met the other Soldiers. She could remember when she first found out that Axel was a Knight and how she and Roxas fought, so stressed out from what was going on. She could remember how he grew calmer as Axel progressed in his training. How Prince Ienzo started opening up more when Demyx became a Knight. How she had done the complete opposite when she met White Rose, instead becoming more and more irate, though all she really wanted was to get along with her.

Her pride hadn't let her. She'd raged for weeks prior about how they didn't need Knights to fight alongside of them and that they could handle things on her own. The fact that they really did need the Knights had only made her feel worse and fight more strongly against what was supposed to be.

She couldn't remember more than projecting her hatred for White Rose, eventually convincing even herself that she really had no desire to befriend the girl. She barely remembered how she got along with Princess Yuffie, though she knew her feelings of like hadn't yet been strong enough to overrule her dislike.

"Maybe… we need some time apart," she whispered. "To figure out how we feel."

"I know how I feel," Yuffie said stiffly. "If you don't know by now, then what's the point?"

Kairi clenched her fists, feeling irrational anger bubbling up inside. "Because I don't remember. All I remember is how much I tried to hate you. My determination to prove I didn't need you. That's what I remember! That's why I need time. Time to remember everything. Or time to let go of the past. It's not something I can fix overnight, Yuffie. And I'm trying here!"

"No. You're not," interrupted Yuffie. "You're _not _trying. And maybe I haven't been trying either." She turned back around and looked the redhead in the eyes. "I like you, Kairi. Even if we didn't remember the past, I'd still like you. You're smart and kind and beautiful and strong."

Kairi blushed.

"I've always admired it. Even more so this time, since we get to lead much more normal lives, not having to worry about people fawning over us in the streets because we're practically royalty."

Kairi considered pointing out that Yuffie had been royalty, but decided against it. She needed to take steps forward, not backward. She also doubted she could speak without her voice squeaking at the moment. Something about Yuffie made her feel nervous, but not in a bad way, just in a confusing way.

Yuffie held out her hand, watching for any sign of discomfort. "Wanna go for a walk? I gotta get Denzel back to the bar before sunset, but we still have an hour or two before that."

Kairi took her hand without hesitation, a shiver jumping down her spine at the skin-on-skin contact.

Yuffie smiled and threaded their fingers together. She wasn't going to let Kairi slip away so easily. She hadn't been trying very hard before, wanting to test how the redhead reacted to her presence, but she was determined to win her over.

Kairi was trying. Hesitantly. So it was up to Yuffie to make things move along. Good thing it was what she was best at!

* * *

Sky Soldier ran down the lit hallway, pulling Ellone behind him. He could hear fighting ahead. The wind howled past his ears, spurring him on. His friends needed him to help fight.

Ahead, a door crashed open and an orange-suited figure flew back and hit the wall. Groaning in pain, Love Soldier slumped to the ground, her curled hair hanging limply over her shoulders.

Sky stopped and pushed Ellone behind a pillar, commanding her to stay hidden there, and then ran over to help his fellow Soldier. Before he could get there, a violet spear flew through the air, heading directly towards Love.

He twirled a hand and pushed a funnel of wind to try and disrupt its path and barely succeeded at knocking it off its path to land tip-down in the floor. Sky breathed a sigh of relief and sprinted forward to help her, only to be pushed back by a wave of golden light. Cursing, he ducked behind a pillar, not wanting to get caught up in the energy.

He could feel it washing over his skin, leaving behind a warm, tingling feeling that was almost pleasant. Taking a chance, he peered around the column. He grinned when he saw Love Soldier standing there, her original uniform being replaced by an orange dress with a tan corset under her bust. Her gloves turned tan and lengthened to her elbows while her shoes changed to high, tan boots with golden laces. The corkscrew curls in her hair smoothed to waves as orange ribbons wrapped the shorter strands into two ponytails. Her mask was just as orange as ever and retained the same shape.

Love nodded to him when her transformation was complete.

Wordlessly, he crept to the door, waiting for her signal to command the wind to their advantage.

The golden-suited warrior held out her hand and a shimmering bow of gold appeared. She grasped it carefully, drawing back the string as far as possible. An arrow appeared, notched securely for her use. She narrowed her eyes, lining it up with something beyond the door, and met Sky's eyes for a split second before releasing the arrow.

The second the projectile zipped past him, Sky jumped into the doorway and expertly manipulated the air so it wouldn't miss its target. He couldn't help but flinch when the arrow pierced Xaldin through the chest and he fell from the air. He forcefully reminded himself that they weren't really human. That they were mere shadows of who they used to be.

As Xaldin convulsed on the floor, slowly fading away, he remembered the guard named Dilan who once helped him sneak into the castle to play a prank on Lady Elena.

* * *

A rather pale Cloud angrily paced in his room while Ventus sheepishly watched on, not exactly sure why the older blond was so upset. Terra stood nearby, ready to interfere if Cloud lost his head. Ellone was seated comfortably on the bed, twisting her shawl in her hands.

"I don't see what the problem is," Terra said after a very long minute. "You told us she was important, so we thought it would be best to bring her back here before returning her home. Or did all of us mishear when you said she was important?"

"You didn't mishear," Cloud muttered. "And she is important, in a way." He stopped pacing and sighed. "Take her home."

"No!" Ellone stood up and put her hands on her hips. "I want to know what's going on. Why am I so important? I'm just a jeweler."

A door slammed shut downstairs and Cloud went even paler, if at all possible. In that moment, he looked utterly defeated, making the others wonder what was going on with him to make him so morose.

They got their answer when Ellone demanded to be told once again and the bedroom door swung open.

"Squall, wait a second!" Selphie could be heard saying. "I know you're angry, but-"

"Ellone," Squall hoarsely interrupted, his eyes on the petite brunette. Emotions flickered in his blue eyes before they froze over and he glared at Cloud, who visibly flinched. He strode forward and gently took Ellone by the shoulders, controlling himself enough to not snap at Cloud, and then pushed her from the room.

"I'll walk you home."

Ellone frowned. "Okay. But you're explaining what's going on as we walk! There's no weaseling out of it this time, Squall Leonhart!"

Squall nodded. "Sure, Sis. Just keep walking."

Selphie moved out of the way as the two left the room. For a moment, she debated on running away and hiding. She was tired and still wet from running around in the rain and definitely wasn't in the mood to answer any questions the three guys had.

She sighed, knowing they'd still be there even if she did go take a shower and dry off and decided to get it over with. "I told you it was a bad idea to not tell him Ellone was kidnapped."

Her words seemed to snap Cloud out of his funk as he sunk down onto his bed. "I know. But it would have been far worse had he gone along to fight. He's unstable without Fire Cross around."

"I know," Selphie said. "But she's Sis. We shouldn't have hid what was going on. And I can't believe you made me go back out in the rain." She made a face. "My hair will never be the same again."

Cloud didn't smile. "Your hair will be fine."

"So, is she Squall's little sister or something?" Ventus asked, his curiosity winning him over.

"She's older, actually," Selphie said. "It's sort of like a nickname she gained in the orphanage back home. Squall was the one who started it and soon all of us were calling her 'Sis'. They've always treated each other like brother and sister though." She lowered her voice. "It was only recently that Squall found out who adopted her. About a year or so ago. It was a man named Laguna Loire, the owner of a major chain of jewelry stores."

"So, what, is he mean to her or something?" Terra asked.

Selphie vehemently shook her head. "Not at all! It's just… Squall doesn't get along with him very well because, well…" She stopped talking. "Never mind. It's not my business to tell."

"But everyone says you're the one to go to for information." Ventus attempted to appeal to her gossiping nature. "Everyone in my year was upset when you graduated early because they didn't find out nearly as much about what was going on."

"No," Selphie said. "This is Squall's business. I've already betrayed his trust once today and I'm not doing it again. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go next door and bum clothes from Kairi. I know the others are over there studying today."

Without another word, she turned around and left.

"C'mon, Ven. Lets get home," Terra said after a few minutes.

Ventus glanced at Cloud, who was deep in thought, and then nodded and got up. He and Terra left the house, quietly talking about what Aqua might be making for dinner.

"I hope it's macaroni," Ventus said. "I love that stuff."

Terra chuckled and ruffled his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

* * *

End chapter

* * *

At long last this chapter is over! And look, Yuffie and Kairi are actually interracting and trying to work things out! I know it's not much, especially after this many chapters, but at least its something.

Remind me to stop writing stories where I have to juggle this many characters. I really need to stick to one or two, three at the most as the main characters. In this one I feel like I'm everywhere, trying to get the point of view of whatever character I feel like.

I am glad I focused on Ven though. He's fun to write.

I'll have a chibi of Love Soldier posted on deviantart soon so you can get an idea of her clothes. I already have Passion and Peace posted. I'll put up links in my profile.

After this chapter, there are **6 more chapters left**. So if there are any questions anyone has, go ahead and ask them in case I've forgotten to put it in my chapter summary as something to clear up. **The question of the origin of Soldiers will soon be answered! **(in 3-4 chapters. Have to wait for the right moment to have it brought up and answered.)

**Next chapter - **_Reality 19_

_Final exams come to an end at long last and yet another person has been kidnapped. As the graduates prepare to celebrate, Xemnas unleashes an army of Heartless and Dark One's upon the town. Some new-yet-old faces arrive to help, but are they enough to turn the tide of battle?_


	29. Reality 19

**For Love**

Reality 19 - _Thursday, May 7_

Tidus jumped down the steps ahead of Kairi, Sora, and Roxas, easily landing on the sidewalk. He had already pulled off his tie and completely unbuttoned his shirt in hopes of cooling down on the breezeless, hot spring day.

"Free at last!" He shouted in relief. "I thought we'd _never _get out of there!" He turned around and beamed at his friends. "We've got to celebrate! School's over and we have one summer of freedom left before we're expected to be mature, responsible adults for the rest of our lives. I say we act as immature as humanly possible all summer; staying out late, partying on the beach, sleeping all day, and then running off to the city for a week without telling anyone! Whaddya say?"

Kairi laughed. "I say we don't let you do any of the activity planning this summer. You'll have us all in jail within a week."

"No fair," Tidus said, still smiling. He knew Kairi was just joking around with him and to not take what she said too seriously. "Last year Selphie planned _everything_ and it was way crazier than what I came up with just now."

Sora stretched his arms out over his head, ruffling his spiky hair in the process. "Selphie wants to be a party planner. I'm not sure we had any choice _but _to let her plan everything."

"Well not this year. I think everyone should have a chance to choose one activity," Tidus said. "Unless you have something better to do with your summer?"

"Oh, you know, nothing important," Roxas began sarcastically. "We only have to save the world from being destroyed."

Tidus frowned, his cheer beginning to evaporate at the mention of the threat to his home. "I meant other than that," he said, trying to keep the conversation from getting serious. He ultimately failed with his next statement. "I could help you guys, you know. I can fight."

"No," said Sora and Roxas automatically while Kairi frowned and began undoing her tie, the sweltering heat finally getting to her.

"I've been practicing," Tidus protested. "What if you guys get overwhelmed or something?"

"There are so many of us here, I doubt that will happen," Roxas said. "Drop it, Tidus. You're not fighting. It's not your battle."

Tidus stopped walking and it took the others a few seconds to realize he wasn't with them. The three fighters turned around to see what was wrong.

"Not my battle?" He repeated. "It's my world too! I'm not going to just sit by and let people get hurt when I can fight and help them! You can't keep me from fighting!"

Roxas spun on his heel and stomped over to Tidus, jabbing a finger into his chest. "You will not fight. If you dare try, I'll have you shielded and locked away faster than you can blink! We're the ones who fucked up in the past, so let us fix this!"

Tidus shoved his hand away. "I'm not going to run."

"Roxas," Sora said, touching his twin's shoulder. "This isn't something we should fight about. I'll protect Tidus if I see him in the middle of battle. That's what I was meant to do anyway; protect the innocent. It's why I was given the defensive side of white magic." He forced Roxas to turn around and then gave him a little shove forward. "Lets get home. I'm sure Selphie's already there making up crazy party plans."

As Roxas began walking over to Kairi to begin the journey home, Sora took it upon himself to talk to Tidus.

"Walk with me?" He asked, gesturing down a side street.

"I don't feel much like-"

"Great!" Sora grabbed Tidus by the arm and began dragging him down the street. They merged into the small crowd on the other side until Sora dragged Tidus across the road to walk along the boardwalk.

Already they could see signs of the summer crowd rolling in. At that moment, it was mainly college students newly finished with spring semester and in desperate need of a break, though many seniors from their high school were also milling about.

"Roxas means well."

"I know."

Sora lets go of his friends arm, fairly confident that the sandy-haired teen wouldn't run. "I also agree with him. You shouldn't fight alongside of us." He held up a hand when Tidus tried to contest the statement. "I know you can fight. We're not saying that you don't know how. It's not a question of whether or not you're skilled with a sword, it's a matter of you not having the powers or abilities of a Soldier or Knight.

"Cloud wasn't pleased when Ocean gave you that sword, but I'm kind of glad she did. It means you can defend yourself and the people around you until you can get away." Sora jumped up onto a low wooden fence and began walking across it, easily able to keep his balance.

"So you don't think I can fight them either?" Tidus asked.

Sora sighed and jumped down. "I told you already, that's not what we're saying. We don't want to see you get hurt, especially not in a battle that is our fault."

Tidus curiously looked over at his friend. "What do you mean? How is any of this your fault?"

"A long time ago…" Sora hesitated a moment. It wasn't really a story he should tell to an outsider, even if said outsider was one of his oldest friends. Cloud would not be happy if he found out.

'_Screw what Cloud wants. We can't keep hiding things.' _

Sora held his head high and began telling Tidus about the past. "A long time ago, we lived on Radiant Garden-Hollow Bastion now. Me, Cloud, Roxas, and Riku were Guardians and the others were all Soldier and Knights, just like they are now. Heartless had always appeared in small numbers and we'd go out and exterminate them. It was never a really big deal. One day the scientists of our world began experimenting on them. Something went wrong and they lost their hearts, though we didn't know it at the time. They began creating new, more advanced Heartless, which eventually mutated into creatures we call the Dark Ones. We didn't find out about it until it was too late.

"When they finally attacked, we were no match for them. You have to understand, there weren't many of us fighting the battle then. We underestimated them. We didn't think we needed the help. If only we had called on the help of the other Soldiers, we might not be here today. We might have lived out our lives in Radiant Garden."

"But how are you here now?" Tidus asked.

"There is a Soldier who only awakens in time of great calamity. She is destined to live as a normal human until she is needed, then recover her memories of every life she has lived before sacrificing herself to save everyone." Sora sounded sad as he recited the duty of the short-lived Soldier. "She is our Hope, with the power of _Rebirth. _She, as well as our King and Queen, sacrificed themselves to allow us to be reborn in this time so we can defeat this enemy." He stopped walking and pulled Tidus off to the side, out of the way of the crowd. "We're not stupid enough to not ask for the help of the Soldiers of other worlds, but we can't let you get involved. Please, Tidus, don't get involved in this fight."

Tidus said nothing for a moment, mentally reviewing everything he just learned. At last he nodded. "Okay. But if I get attacked by those Heartless things or if I see someone get attacked, I'm gonna fight them. I can at least fight those, right?"

Sora nodded, relieved that they could at least come to a compromise of sorts. As long as Tidus didn't go after the big monsters, he saw no problem. "The small ones. Now lets get back to my house. Cloud promised us a huge graduation cake and if we don't get there soon Demyx'll probably eat it all!" He grinned and started running, easily maneuvering his way through the crowd.

Tidus laughed and followed at a jog.

0-0-0

Selphie ripped the string free of the tiny, plastic bottle and a loud crack split the air aas tiny paper streamers flew through the air. "Congratulations, graduates! So tell me, how d'ya feel?" She asked, slinging an arm around Tidus's neck.

"Umm… the same?" Tidus said unsurely.

"Well _I _feel great!" Sora said, handing Selphie a new popper and Tidus his first one. "We've got the summer to have fun and we can hang out for real and not just to study."

Kairi stood back as Selphie unleashed her second popper above Tidus's head. In response, Tidus did the same to her, showering her hair with bits of confetti. Selphie shrieked in outrage and began chasing him around, though Tidus always remained just out of her reach.

Sora chuckled and watched the two with Kairi. Once they were out of the room, his expression turned more serious and he gestured for Kairi to face the wall so no one would get worried.

"We have a slight problem. Cloud told me about it when I got back with Tidus," he said quietly.

Dread welled up inside of Kairi, filling her chest with anxiety. "W-who? Who is it? Who did they take?"

"Just relax, okay. Riku took a group out to track them down." Sora glanced back as Tidus came charging through the room, easily slipping past people. He was gone in a second. "They all want you guys to relax and have fun today. It's your graduation party, you know."

Kairi had to step closer to the wall as Selphie ran past, armed with a Nerf sword. Once she was free of the danger zone, she gripped Sora's sleeve and looked in his eyes. "Sora, who is it? Who did they take?"

Sora avoided looking her in the eyes, instead trying to turn away to see what was going on with everyone else in the room. However, his red-haired friend wasn't going to let him off so easily.

"Tell me or I'll go hunt down Cloud. Selphie will notice that I'm looking for him and wonder what's going on. Eventually all of the others will find out too and the party will come to an end," Kairi said.

"Have you always been so devious?" Sora asked, a teasing edge to his voice. As quickly as it came, the playfulness was gone and he was back to being completely serious. "We think… that is, Cloud and Aqua believe, that they've taken Hope."

"Hope?" Kairi repeated with a frown. "But… we don't even know who Hope is. How can we know for sure if it's her or not?"

"Because of Sky. The two of them have that bond." Sora sighed. "He collapsed earlier today when Elena was walking him home from school. She said that when he woke up, the only thing he could say was 'Hope is gone'. Elena didn't know what he meant, but Aqua did and she told Cloud."

Kairi was silent for a moment. The bond between Sky and Hope was something she had only heard of in passing. No one really knew why the two had such a strong connection. It was almost as unexplainable as to why some Soldiers had Knights to help balance their powers and why others did not.

She released Sora's sleeve before saying anything else. "Who did Riku take with him?"

"I believe it was White Rose, Melodious Nocturne, Storm, and Floral."

Kairi took a look around and, sure enough, couldn't find the raven-haired girl anywhere.

Sora grinned when he saw her looking around. "She promised to make up for missing out on the party. I was thinking we could go on a double date or something. After all, it's been a while since you went out with me and Riku. This time you'll have your own date!"

"W-we're not dating!" Kairi stammered, a blush rising to her cheeks. "We're just friends! That's all!"

"For now," Sora teased. He winked and then walked away to join in on the festivities.

Elsewhere in the house, Selphie could be heard raising a fuss about the confetti still in her hair.

0-0-0

_Young Ventus ran along the beach chasing after a little girl with blonde hair, his chubby legs carrying him as fast as he could run. He yelled something to her, but nothing could be heard over the sound of the waves crashing into the sand. _

_She stopped and turned around, bright blue eyes shining jovially as she waited for him. _

_Just as he caught up to her, his hand outstretched, she vanished._

_Teenage Ventus took the place of his younger form, hand still reaching for the blonde girl. His simple shorts and t-shirt changed into his multi-layered Soldier uniform. Waves washed up over his sneakers, thoroughly soaking them, though he couldn't feel it._

_The blonde girl appeared before him again, tears rolling down her cheeks. Slowly, she changed. Her blue eyes became bright green. Her skin darkened to a sun-kissed tan. Her light blonde hair darkened to a golden shade and was pulled up into a ponytail. Her clothing, which was once a simple, blue sundress, turned to a Soldier training uniform; a blue pleated skirt with a black belt and a green, spiraling buckle. An orange, collared shirt instead of the typical white, which split above her belly button and was longer in the back, almost the same length as her skirt. Her tie was blue with a clip just like her belt buckle. Her gloves and knee-high boots were orange, but her mask was blue._

"_I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, Ventus."_

_Suddenly, he was young again, but instead of the Soldier being the one crying, it was him._

"_I know it's hard to understand right now and that all you want is for your sister to come back," she said, kneeling down in front of him. "Just know that she's still here." She rested her hand over her heart. "I love you very much, Ventus. And I promise. One day you'll understand."_

"Vennie!" _His sister's voice echoed around him. _"Don't be sad! We'll meet again one day. You may not know it's me, but I'll know it's you for sure! That's a promise!"

0-0-0

Riku calmly led the way down the single hallway towards what they were all assuming was another massive white room. He and the other four had come across several of the rooms already, each of them as identical as the other, which was why they were surprised when the white flooring turned to dirt and rock and the smooth white walls turned to dungeon-like stone blocks.

"Huh, weird," remarked Melodious Nocturne. "So have we finally found the right room, or is this another dud?"

Storm smirked and cracked her knuckles. "There's only one way to find out." She walked into the room, her green eyes scanning the room in an almost bored manner. "We know you're there. You're not foolish enough to consider running away to hide."

Floral walked out beside her, his hands tightly gripping a pink and green curved scythe, ready to strike at any given moment.

"There's no need for that." A looming form stepped out from behind a boulder, a feminine figure slung over his shoulder.

The gathering of Soldiers and Knights tensed up at the man's sudden appearance, each prepared to do whatever it took to rescue the untransformed Hope Soldier.

"What do you want?" Riku demanded. "Why are you doing this, Lexaeus?"

Lexaeus stopped in the middle of the room. With the girl slung over his shoulder, it was near impossible for any of them to fight him without harming her as well.

"I'm only following orders," said the broad man. "Though I do have my own reason for doing this. I'll give her to you. I have no desire to fight all of you over her. I know I'd lose. What I want, in exchange for her, is a chance to fight _you."_ He looked at the blue-clothed figure of the group.

"Me?" Nocturne squeaked in surprise. "But why me? I've never even seen you before! I mean, I don't think I have. No, I haven't. I would've remembered seeing you. You're kind of, uh," he scratched the back of his neck. "Unforgettable."

"You stole Ienzo from us. Because of you, he refused to join us."

"That's ridiculous," White Rose said. "He didn't join you because he belongs here with us. He doesn't want to destroy the world, he wants to save it!"

Lexaeus didn't react to her words. "Do we have a deal?"

Nocturne began to walk forward, but stopped when Riku grabbed his arm and shook his head.

"Don't," advised the silver-haired Guardian. "We don't even know what his powers are. We can get her back some other way."

Nocturne hesitated and then pulled his arm free of Riku's grip. "I have to do this. I know it's exactly what Zexion was afraid of, the reason why he didn't want me to go on a rescue mission. But that's exactly why I have to do this! For him and me. I need to know that I'm strong enough to protect Zexion. That's why we Knights exist, after all."

Riku flinched and looked away, his eyes guarded. "If this is what you want to do…"

Nocturne took a deep breath and looked back at Lexaeus. _'Do I want to do this? Maybe I'm not strong enough to beat him yet. I don't even really like fighting! But it'll mean getting Hope back safely. They need her more than they need me.' _

Pushing past White Rose, Storm, and Floral, he walked out to meet the enemy. "You have a deal, Lexaeus!"

"Good." Lexaeus carefully set Hope down at his feet. "You, the one in pink, come get her."

Floral handed his scythe to Storm and cautiously collected the small blonde girl, backing away instead of turning around.

After checking on the girl and finding she was unconscious but otherwise just fine Nocturne shucked off his coat and carelessly let it fall to the ground as he walked out to face Lexaeus. His heat beat wildly in his chest, his blood pounding in his ears.

'_Oh man… he's humongous! How am I supposed to beat him?'_

Lexaeus held out one hand and summoned an oversized tomahawk in a swirl of black and red dust. He waited a moment to see if Nocturne was going to do the same, and then lunged forward with a broad sweep of his weapon.

Nocturne dodge rolled out of the way and then kept running when he discovered the large man was close enough to swing his weapon and crush him. He continued the process for a while, never having quite enough time to get in an attack edgewise.

Riku, Storm, Floral, and White Rose stood on the sidelines and watched anxiously, each of them praying that Nocturne would make it through the fight. Floral continued to hold the blonde girl in his arms while Storm held onto his scythe.

Nocturne let out a yowl of pain when the tomahawk clipped his arm, sending him spiraling to the ground. Before he could get hit again, he rolled out of the way and got back up on his feet.

"_WATERGA!" _

A mass of water roared to life around him, forming a brief barrier before rushing to Lexaeus and crashing into him.

The large man gave a grunt of discomfort and let go of his weapon, the force of the water too strong for even him to fight. By the time he retrieved it, Nocturne had summoned his own weapon to the field.

"Like her?" Nocturne asked when he noticed the stunned expression on the enemy's face. "This is Arpeggio. She's going to help me kick your ass." Lovingly, he plucked the strings, calling to life his water clones and various musical notes. "By the way, I'd beat all of them in thirty seconds if I were you. Any longer and they'll attach themselves to your face and you'll suffocate to death."

Immediately, Lexaeus began swinging his tomahawk around, destroying the clones and music notes instantly. A few stragglers danced out of the way, but it was only a matter of seconds before each of them were vanquished. Once finished with the nuisances, he searched out Nocturne, more than ready to finish the fight.

He quickly found the boy, his eyes widening at the sight of the watery, serpent-like dragon coiled around him.

"_TSUNAMI!"_

Lexaeus dropped his weapon. There was nothing he could do anymore. _'Ienzo… my friend… I'm sorry.'_

_

* * *

_

Garnet jogged down the road, her long hair pulled up into a ponytail instead of being loosely bound by her usual leather band. Rather than her usual orange or white dresses, she was wearing a black jogging suit which she borrowed from Tifa.

She paused at the edge of downtown, right where the taller shops began to give way to one- and two-story homes. In the distance she could spot the high school, nestled in a grassy area, and even further she knew was one of the local colleges. To her left was the boardwalk and then the sandy beach.

She stood there for a moment, reveling in the cool breeze blowing in from over the water, thinking about her relationship with Zidane and the way it'd been going recently.

After a few days of living with the blond, she had gotten so frustrated with him and his habits that she moved out to stay with Tifa, which was where she was still staying. One day she'd go back and live with him, that much she knew for sure. She loved him too much to stay away forever.

Garnet smiled softly. _'Maybe once this mess is over, I'll go back and live with him.' _

With that thought in mind, she turned around to head back to Tifa's bar, _Seventh Heaven_. In that moment, screams erupted around her, and she spun around in search of the source of the commotion.

It wasn't hard to find.

Dark portals were open everywhere, with hundreds of Heartless pouring out of them. She could see at least two larger gates, from which Dark Ones were emerging. Finally, floating above the town was a man in a black coat and silver hair.

Garnet dug her cell phone from her jacket pocket and quickly hit the speed dial. "Tifa! We've got trouble! Call the others. I think this is it."

"_I'm on it!"_

She closed her phone and stuck it back into her pocket before darting around to the side of the building where there was less of a chance of being seen. She clasped her hands over her heart and they soon began to glow. When she removed her hands, a glowing crystal was revealed.

It floated in the air and flashed, morphing her clothing. Her jacket vanished, leaving only her orange tank top. Her pants then turned orange and clung tightly to her legs, like spandex, and then merged with her tank top to form a one-piece uniform. The collar of her shirt lowered below her breasts, which were covered with white fabric. White gloves wrapped around her arms up past her elbows. Red-brown boots appeared on her feet. Around her waist a set of turquoise stones appeared; the first tear-drop shaped, the next an oval, and the last a set of three small circles attached to the oval. Her silver tiara had a stone of the same color and her mask was white like her gloves.

The crystal ceased glowing and settled over her heart, her transformation complete.

Diligent Soldier summoned her wooden staff before running back into the street to start fighting.

* * *

"How dare you!" Passion raged, unleashing a blast of fire upon a group of Heartless. "You ruined the party! The party that _I _spent time planning! Take this! _BURNING EMBERS!"_

Sora threw up a shield as he bumped into Heart, preventing a Large Body from slamming into both of them. "Remind me to never piss off Selphie."

"I'm pretty sure everyone already knows that," Heart replied. She used her ribbon as a whip to snap away a Shadow. "I'm going to help Strength."

Sora nodded and watched as she ran off to where lighting was flashing in great arcs. Then he turned his focus back to the fight, throwing up shields where he could and healing his friends when their wounds were too severe. So caught up in his task, he didn't notice the Dark One looming over him until it cast a shadow over where he was standing.

"_Beat Rush!" _

A woman in black effortlessly landed beside him after attacking the monster, her sneakers squelching on the pavement. Her dark hair fanned around her shoulders as she spun on her heel, mahogany eyes determined.

"Courage!" Sora breathed in relief. "Are the other girls here?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Diligent was the one who made the first call. She and Faith should be around here somewhere. Wild Thief is here too, looking for Diligent."

"_RUMBLE RUSH!" _A form with blond hair zipped forward, knocking the Dark One away and up into the air. Twin blades appeared in his hands as he skidded to a stop. _"Meo Twister!" _He threw the blades at the Dark One and smirked when they collided with it and unleashed beams of energy, destroying the monster. He effortlessly caught them when they fell down. "Looks like I still got it," he said confidently, his tail swaying happily. "Anyone seen Diligent?"

Courage shook her head. "Sorry, Thief."

"It's okay. Later!" He ran off in a new direction, destroying Heartless as he went.

Sora and Courage rejoined the fight. For the first time, Sora felt thankful to have the strong Soldier by his side to aid him as he protected the others.

* * *

Electricity crackled around Strength Soldier as she landed punch after punch on the mass of Heartless surrounding her. Nearby, Heart worked furiously just to keep them from getting too close to her.

Hopelessness began to well up in Strength's heart. They were the only two left who hadn't "leveled up". Even working together their powers were no match for the Heartless and even stronger Dark Ones. She fought bitterly, her attacks much weaker than normal.

"_Thunder Strike!"_

Several bolts rained down upon the Heartless, scorching them and making some lay twitching on the ground for a while. They did little more than stun the creatures.

"Damn it!" Strength screamed, resorting to kick away one of them. She glanced over when she heard a frightened scream from Heart. She zapped away the Heartless around her without a single thought and ran over to help her fallen comrade. "Like Hell I'm letting you hurt her! _AEROSPARK!"_

The crackling energy around her increased, slowly morphing her clothing. The first change was her skirt, which smoothed out and changed into a pair of long, navy pants. Her shirt tucked into the pants, leaving her belt in its proper place in the belt loops of her new pants. The green clip on her tie vanished as a sleeveless navy coat sparked into reality on top of her shirt. It was longer in the back and split into tails. Her gloves shortened to her wrists.

The sheer power of her sudden transformation destroyed the creatures surrounding her and Heart Soldier.

Reaching down, she helped Heart to her feet, only to have to whirl around seconds later to blast away a Neo Shadow as it tried to sneak up on them. Lightning sparked around her fists, forming into a pair of pistils. She latched onto the two weapons, instinctively know to channel her energy through them to form lightning bullets.

"_Heavenly Strike!" _Heart shouted, holding out a hand to blast Heartless away with a beam of light.

"_TWIN SHOT!" _Strength's guns blazed with light as she ran out, shooting a continuous stream of energy bullets. After a few seconds she stopped and jumped into the air, spinning as she shot more of the Heartless. She landed back on her feet as the creatures vanished, her guns no longer glowing. "Lets go help the others," she said to Heart.

Heart nodded and followed Strength to where Cloud, Roxas, Dancing Flames, and Brave were fighting. As they ran, killing Heartless along the way, Heart couldn't help but notice that everyone was beginning to gather in the area.

It was also where the mysterious man - who she assumed was the leader, Xehanort - was floating above the town.

"Defenders of this world," he spoke slowly but clearly. "Cease your senseless fighting. You cannot win this battle."

Heart glared up at him. "Like we're really going to listen to you!"

Dancing Flames voiced his opinion of the man's words in a more violent fashion than that of his sister. _"Firestorm!" _

Fire raced through the air, surrounding the leader. However, with a single sweep of his arm, it was gone.

"If you truly wish to continue to oppose me, then allow me, Xemnas, the opportunity to crush your spirits." He focused on Heart, still in her training uniform. He held up a hand, in which a bright red light appeared. _"Instant Death."_

"_Shield!" _

"_Renzokuken__!"_

Despite their measures to protect their female leader, the bead of light smashed right through the shield and pierced Heart's chest, exiting through her back. She let out a startled gasp as she crumpled to her knees, her eyes going dim.

She could hear Xemnas's maddeningly slow laugh and a feminine scream of terror and fury before she knew no more.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

I think I'm starting to enjoy killing characters too much.

Don't worry, Heart's death is completely according to my chapter plans. It wasn't one of my "hey, this might be interesting" ideas.

If this chapter is a little crude it's because I sat down and forced myself to finish writing this today. I still enjoyed writing it, but if I hadn't made myself write, it wouldn't have gotten done.

5 more chapters left!

_Next chapter _- Reality 20

Dream Soldier returns and receives news that leaves him very unhappy. Meanwhile, Riku, White Rose, Melodious Nocturne, Storm, and Floral have arrived at the battle field after dropping off Hope at the Strife's house.


	30. Reality 20

**For Love**

_Reality 20 - Thursday, May 7_

Dream Soldier lounged in one of his favorite places in the Blank Space, floating in midair with a book in one hand. His other hand was busy twirling a piece of his silky hair. He hummed to himself for a moment, his eyes closed in relaxation until the sound of wind chimes filled the air.

A scowl worked its way across his pretty face, his eyes opening to reveal hard blue orbs. He floated down towards the ground and fluffed up his hair when his feet touched the ground.

The chimes grew louder.

"Cease with the noise!" Dream Soldier commanded. "I've heard enough! If you are truly that impatient, then come to me instead of demanding that I hasten to your side."

The air warped around him and he found himself standing in front of two figures, one in white and the other in black.

"Your time here has come to an end," spoke the figure in black. "You are no longer needed."

Dream Soldier seemed pleased by the news. "At long last I can rest in peace. I have waited for this moment for many years."

"Not exactly," said the figure in white. "You're still necessary; you just aren't able to stay here any longer. We'll be sending you to where you are really needed."

Dream narrowed his eyes. "Which is…?"

"To the other Soldiers. Though I doubt they'll be happy to see you."

"Discord," hissed the white figure.

The dark figure scoffed and crossed its arms over its chest. "Don't chastise me, Harmony. I am only speaking the truth, something you are always trying to get me to do."

"Now is not the time," Harmony replied. "Dream Soldier, you are hereby banished from this Blank Space. We send you to where you are meant to be." She snapped her fingers and before Dream Soldier could protest, he was gone.

"You did send him to the correct place this time, right?" Discord questioned.

Harmony sighed. "It was _one _time. Just once. Now come. We have other matters to attend to."

* * *

"Heart!" White Rose pushed her way past the other Soldiers and Knights as Sora and Diligent erected a shield around all of them. "No!" She dropped to her knees and ripped off her mask, unshed tears beginning to spill over her eyes. "Kairi…" Her hands shook as she stroked the redhead's cheek with her fingertips.

Melodious Nocturne and Riku pushed their way through next, while Floral and Storm joined the fighters. An anguished cry escaped Nocturne's throat the moment he saw her laying there, completely still. Riku closed his eyes and turned his head, knowing that if he continued looking at her he would completely lose his composure.

Dancing Flames clenched his fists. "He won't get away with this," he quietly vowed with malice laced in his voice. "Roxas. Let's go."

The blond nodded and summoned his twin blades. Wordlessly, he ran back out into the hoard of Heartless with Dancing Flames right behind him. Seconds later an enraged Melodious Nocturne joined them, followed by Riku.

White Rose stayed by Kairi's side, safe in the shield created by Sora and Diligent. She paid no mind as Cloud tried to comfort her in his own, silent way before summoning First Tsurugi and going out to help Roxas.

Ocean danced by, expertly swinging her harpoon. Sky leapt through the air, his broadsword cleaving enemies in half. Earth drove his weapon into the ground, which gave a violent tremor and caused Heartless to fall over. Wisdom fought valiantly at Melodious Nocturne's side, guarding him with his illusions and various white magic. Brave unleashed attack after reverberating attack, occasionally slashing out a high leveled ice spell. Courage pounded enemies with her fists and feet, little more than a blur of black. Wild Thief jumped around with his twin daggers, protecting Diligent from any harm.

White Rose noticed none of it, only focused on the breathless form before her.

Faith fluttered down across from her, her blue duster flowing elegantly as she crouched, her blue-gloved hands hovering over Kairi's chest. _"Curaga." _A green light streamed from her fingertips, bouncing away from Kairi instead of into her.

Faith frowned and tried a new tactic. _"Revive."_

Still nothing.

Her hands shook as she pulled them away. "White Rose, I'm sorry. I can't…"

A hiccup wracked White Rose's body as she bowed her head. "Kairi… I promise. I'll avenge you. All of us will." She slowly stood and put her mask back over her eyes. "Faith, can you stay with her?"

The blue-clothed Soldier nodded. "Of course."

"Thanks." White Rose summoned her oversized shuriken and lifted her head up high before charging out into battle.

* * *

Blue-violet eyes fluttered open to be greeted by nothing but white. It stretched on endlessly with no way to tell what was up and what was down. Even where she was sitting, there were no shadows.

"Where… am I?" Her voice came out as little more than a whisper.

"We tend to call it the Blank Space. Technically it's a realm made up of worlds which were lost in the past and ones that will be in the future. This area is where no world has taken residence." A silvery-white figure appeared in the abyss, barely noticeable against the whiteness of everything.

From behind the silvery figure stepped out a black figure that seemed piercingly bright. "We'd prefer it if no other worlds fall. It's such a hassle when they do."

"Which why we're considering allowing you a trial," said Harmony. "Your powers are truly limitless, but as you are now…"

"You're weak," Discord said bluntly. "The trial will make you stronger. But we're not sure if you really deserve it or not. So tell us, Kairi Sinclair, why do you deserve this trial? Why are you here?"

Kairi hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "Why…? Because I died, right? That's why I'm here?"

Harmony shook her head. "No. What are your reasons for living?"

"My family. My friends." Kairi paused. "Yuffie…"

Both figured smiled and chimed in unison: "Why her?"

"Why? Why…" She fell silent, thinking the question over. _'Why did I say Yuffie's name? Why not Axel or Reno? Or even Sora. He's my best friend. So why Yuffie…? I barely know her. I haven't had time to get to know her. Not now and not in the past. …right?"_

"Because…" Her voice dropped to a whisper as memories began to quietly resurface. She closed her eyes, remembering pieces of the childhood of her past which had been long forgotten.

* * *

_Five-year-old Kairi held tightly to the hand of her oldest brother as they approached a shrine-like building. Standing at the top of the steps was the leader of Wutai and his only daughter, who was only a year or so older than Kairi._

"_Who's she?" Asked Kairi._

"_That's the Princess of Wutai, Yuffie Kisaragi," Reno quietly replied. "You'll be spending time here with her while I'm working."_

_Kairi huffed, crossing her cherubic arms over her chest. "I don't wanna hang out with some princess. Why can't I go with you?"_

"_Sorry kiddo. This is a request from the Queen herself. One day you'll be working alongside our prince and it'll be good to get used to dealing with royalty of other worlds. Prince Ienzo is still too young right now, so it's up to you." He pushed her towards the steps. "Be nice to her. She's never met anyone from Radiant Garden."_

_Kairi stumbled to the steps and, looking everywhere but at the princess, introduced herself with a curtsy. _

_Yuffie jumped down the steps and bowed. "I'm Yuffie! The single White Rose of Wutai! Do you like tag?"_

_Kairi looked at her in confusion. "I guess so."_

"_Tag!" Yuffie yelled, tapping Kairi's arm. She giggled and took off running, easily jumping up and over a low wall._

_Determined to not be beaten by "some princess", Kairi ran after her, scrambling non-too-gracefully over the wall._

_

* * *

_

_Two little girls crouched in the bushes, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Every now and then one of them would giggle, but the other was quick to shush her. _

_Sitting unawares in the garden was a serious raven-haired man in an eastern-style suit and a redhead missing his jacket and with his tie completely undone. They seemed to be talking quietly, though the redhead was doing more complaining than actual talking._

"…_and __**then**__ she says to me 'don't you have a job to do?' and so I told her just where to shove that job."_

"_You realize that you are the most unprofessional fool I have ever had the misfortune to work with, correct?"_

_The redhead laughed and slung an arm around his partner's shoulders. "Aw, c'mon, Tseng! I'm not so bad. I just don't like her. Somethin' 'bout her just pisses me off. But you're pretty cool, y'know that? Probably my favorite boss in all the worlds."_

_Tseng raised an eyebrow and carefully unwound the redheads arm from his neck. "I'd prefer it if you wouldn't touch me, Reno. And it doesn't matter if you like her or not. She is your superior."_

"_Tch, whatever." Reno yawned and stretched out his body before returning to his slouched position. "So where are the brats? I haven't seen 'em for a while."_

"_The last I heard, there were making flower wreaths in the field."_

_Kairi made a gagging gesture to Yuffie, who stifled her laughter. _

"_Oh, so they're off doing girly crap. Heh, guess this princess is a better influence on my li'l sis than I thought."_

"_You must be mistaken. Princess Yuffie has always been a tomboyish sort. She's caused all sorts of trouble for the guards since she learned to walk. The only thing girlish she does is take walks through the rose garden on occasion."_

"_Yeah, Kairi hangs out with __**no **__girls back home. It's always been me, her, and our other brother and his best friend, who is also a guy. Kai's like one of the guys."_

_Tseng stood up and looked around, no longer feeling so confident about the task of watching over the princess. "Perhaps we should go check on them."_

"_Nah," Reno shook his head. "Knowing Kai, she's long gone from that flower field. They're probably hunting for trouble right about now."_

"_Or for treasure…"_

_Yuffie's eyes lit up. "Ooo, treasure! That's what I wanted to do!" She whispered excitedly. "Let's go back to that field and look for treasure! I bet we'll find something interesting."_

_Kairi nodded in agreement and soon the two were off, sneaking through the plants to avoid detection._

_

* * *

_

_Only a few months later, Kairi and Reno left to return to Radiant Garden. Less than a year later, they returned to be reunited with old friends._

"_Tseng!" Reno slapped his favorite boss on the back, a wide grin on his face. "How you been?"_

_Tseng resisted the urge to find some sort of punishment for Reno's behavior, knowing it did nothing but encourage him to act up even more. "I've been fine, Reno."_

"_Yuffie!" Kairi ran forward and hug her friend, who hugged her back just as enthusiastically. "Let's go out to the garden! I've got so much to tell you!"_

"_Me too! Just wait until you see what I found!"_

_Talking happily, the two girls ran off, leaving Tseng and Reno to figure out where they were going and how to follow them._

_

* * *

_

_Two years passed, with Kairi leaving for Radiant Garden and then returning to Wutai for brief periods of time. When the day came for her to leave Wutai for good, she wished she could go against her destiny, even if it meant the end of her own world._

"_I wish you could come back again. It's no fun when you're not around." Yuffie scuffed her sneakered feet along the ground. "I don't see why you can't come back and visit."_

"_Reno says he's done with his job here," Kairi said sullenly. "And I'm supposed to stay by my prince from now on. It's my duty."_

"_But it's not fair! You're my best friend. Who else is gonna go on adventures with me?" Yuffie questioned, grasping Kairi's hands. "And don't say 'Tseng'. He's such a stick-in-the-mud. I don't think he even knows the meaning of 'fun'."_

_Kairi pulled her hands from her friends, unable to look her in the eyes. "I know. But… but maybe one day you can come visit Radiant Garden! And if Prince Ienzo ever comes to Gaia, I'll be with him and we can see each other again!"_

"_But it won't be the same."_

"_Kairi! Move it!"_

_The two girls turned to see Reno impatiently waiting with a pair of large, yellow birds, which they would be riding to the airship port._

_Kairi hesitated for a brief second and then lurched forward to hug her best friend. "We'll meet again. Promise."_

"_Don't forget."_

_

* * *

_

Kairi opened her eyes. "Because I like her," she said honestly. "She's adventurous and smart and just fun to be around. And I haven't been fair to her. I need to tell her that I do like her; that I want to get to know her better. It's not love like everyone keeps trying to convince me. I don't even think it was that way in the past. But our relationship deserves a chance to grow into whatever it's meant to be. Yuffie deserves that much. And so do I."

"Good," said Harmony. "You're ready for your trial. And remember, there are many levels to your abilities. You have to potential to become the strongest of all Soldiers. However, it is up to you to discover them."

"Don't die again," advised Discord. It waved its arm and a silver door with blue designs appeared. "You only get one chance."

Kairi stood up and bowed to the figures. "Thank you." Then she turned and walked to the door, pausing when she reached it. She lightly grasped the handles and took a deep breath before pulling them open and walking through.

She found herself surrounded by darkness, her weight supported by a familiar looking platform of stained glass. A pathway of primary colored rectangles led the way up to a second platform. She knew without examining the image that it was of her, sleeping with her knees drawn up to her chest and white stars in the background.

"This is my trial?" She wondered aloud.

With a sigh she began walking up the pathway, somewhat surprised when she encountered no obstacles. Below her, the first platform dimmed, while the one she was on lit up with brilliant colors.

The image created by glass was once again of her, clad in her Soldier training uniform. Images of her friend's faces were in small circles around her. She could recognize each of them. Passion, Peace, Love, Strength, and Wisdom were the closest to her, along with Riku and Roxas. The others were arranged in a similar fashion, creating a full circle around her. There was Brave, Faith, and Lightning to the left of Passion. To Wisdom's right was Ocean, Sky, and Earth, followed by Storm, Floral, Dream, Diligent, and finally Hope to complete the image.

'_No Knights…' _

The glass dimmed suddenly and Kairi automatically went on the defensive, reaching for the necklace around her neck. Her fingers grasped at nothing.

"What?" She gasped, running her fingers along her neck in search of the chain, and then checking her pockets. "No! No, no, no, no!" She tried to use her powers next, but found herself unable to even channel a pinprick of light.

Dark shadows rose from the floor, wiggling aimlessly for a few seconds before moving to converge on her.

Kairi tried to fight against them, lashing out with feet and fists. She succeeded in knocking some of them away, but as more and more appeared they began backing her to the edge of the platform.

She began to panic.

"Someone, please…" She whispered as her heels hit the edge of the platform. "Help me." She ducked when one leapt at her, and then swung her arm to knock it over the edge. A feeling of despair welled up within her. She wasn't going to lie down and die there, but she knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.

Kairi kicked away the next two Shadows.

'_I have to do something! I need a weapon! Something to fight with!'_

She performed a sideways roll when five of the creatures lunged for her, nearly toppling over the edge as she got back on her feet.

New, taller Shadows appeared amidst the smaller ones.

"_MELTDOWN!"_

A beam of dark light crashed upon the Heartless, obliterating them. A figure drifted down from the sky as the light cleared away, and Kairi gasped when she saw who it was.

"But you're-… You're me!"

The figure nodded as her feet touched the ground. "I am. Or rather, I am the physical manifestation of your previous self."

"I don't have to fight you, do I?" Kairi asked.

Heart Soldier laughed. "No, nothing like that! I'm here to help you, or rather, help me. You learned to rely on yourself and not the help of someone else to rescue you."

"But I did ask for someone to help," Kairi said in confusion.

"True," Heart Soldier conceded. "But you didn't lie down and stop fighting. You fought back and then wished for something to use to fight. Instead of expecting someone to save you, you saved yourself. That's why I can give you this." She held out a slim, silver chain with three heart charms dangling from it.

Kairi took it, feeling a thrill at the tingling warmth that shot up her arm. She examined it for a moment, and then slid it around her neck, easily clasping it shut.

Heart Soldier began to fade as Kairi transformed. "Find your hidden power. It will lead you right." Just as suddenly as she appeared, she disappeared.

Kairi looked down at her clothes as they changed to a pink zippered dress with a lacy trim around the top and matching gloves. Black boots covered her feet. A pink jewel on a silver band wound itself around her forehead while her hair wrapped around in her trademark buns.

A new pathway lit up, leading high up into the darkness. From where she stood, Heart couldn't tell where the next platform was at.

Having little other choice, she began walking up the pathway. Like with the first, one she met no resistance as she walked. The only problem was that it stretched on and on with no end in sight. When she looked back, she could barely make out the other two platforms, and she hoped it was only because they weren't brightly lit.

"Reaching the top would be great," she panted.

Heart was considering taking a brief break when two pink-and-white figures dancingly descended upon her. The first to reach her grabbed her arm and, before she could get free, tossed her high into the air.

"Heavenly Ribbon!" She aimed her energy for the walkway and managed to get it to wrap around it when the second figure snapped it like a piece of yarn.

A third pink figure appeared, snagging her leg and tossing her even higher.

As she flew through the air, she realized that they were everywhere, leaping gracefully through the air, occasionally turning somersaults. Whenever she began to fall, another would get near her and toss her even higher.

Watching them, she began to notice a pattern to their jumps and wondered if she could use it herself. _'It would help when I have to fight something that flies…' _

Heart twisted her body so she was facing the way she was traveling through the air. She tried to copy the jumping motion the figures were making, but her feet met nothing but air. Turning her attention back to the way they were jumping, she noticed a faint crisscrossing pattern beneath their feet, similar to the way a Protect or Reflect spell looked.

'_I wonder…' _Heart sent a wave of energy out from her feet, willing it to take a solid form like her ribbon. Pink coloring crisscrossed in the air at her feet as she found solid footing and used it to jump higher into the air. Her heart soared as she flew through the air, repeated the process when she began slowing down.

The dancing figures moved closer, gleefully twisting cartwheels and somersaults around her as she flew with them through the air until she at last reached the top. A few of them landed with her, leading the way to an elaborate white door.

"Thank you," Heart said.

The dancing figures bowed and then cartwheeled away.

Heart pulled open the door and stepped through into darkness.

* * *

Faith watched the fighting with weary eyes, healing her friends when she saw fit. Kairi's still form lay near her feet. She flinched when she saw Brave get slammed backwards into a building and then Courage knocked down to the concrete, landing roughly on her back.

'_We need to find a way to end this.'_

Wild Thief landed nearby and spun his weapons, which began to glow. He glared down a Dark One that had so far eluded his attacks and was the cause of Brave's injury. _"Swift Attack!"_ He dashed forward, delivering several swift blows with his weapons and knocking away the monster. _"Meo Twister!" _He threw them forward and watched as beams of light slammed around the Dark One. When his weapons returned to his hands, pooled his energy for one final attack.

"_REVERSE GAIA!"_ He zipped back and forth past the Dark One, striking it with his daggers each time before jumping into the air to slam down onto it, destroying it at last.

Wild Thief ran over to check on Brave Soldier, helping his friend stand back up.

"I'm fine, Thief," said the leather-clad fighter. "Get back to fighting."

"No way!" Wild Thief shook his head and continued to support him. "I'm taking you over to Faith. Your back's completely torn up."

Halfway over to Faith, a pink light caught the attention of Brave Soldier. He ignored it for a few more seconds until it grew so bright that even Wild Thief noticed.

"What's that?"

"It looks like… Heart?"

The light shimmered over Kairi's body, turning opaque. It faded away by the time they reached her and Faith, revealing Heart Soldier in her new pink dress.

"Heart…?" Faith breathed in disbelief.

Blue-violet eyes opened and Heart slowly sat up, using her arms to support her. She offered a hesitant smile to the incredulous warriors around her. "Hey."

* * *

End chapter

* * *

Changed things up with my plans for the next chapter. After having a hard time coming up with enough to write this chapter, and looking at my plans for the next two, I decided I need to combine the next two into one single chapter.

So instead of having 4 chapters to go after this, it's only three.

**Next Chapter **- Reality 21 - _Thursday, May 7_

With Kairi's return, the fight is quickly finished with Xemnas disappearing before they can destroy him. Later, One-Winged arrives from seclusion to have a serious discussion with the Soldiers. Zexion begins considering plans to rebuild Radiant Garden.


	31. Reality 21

**For Love**

_Reality 21 - Thursday, May 7_

"You're alive!" Wild Thief exclaimed, tripping up when Brave Soldier came to a stop. "But how? Wait, never mind that. We've got to let White Rose know!"

Heart unsteadily got to her feet and brushed off her pink dress. "No. There's something else I have to do first." She directed her attention to the black-shrouded figure floating above the town. A smirk crossed her face when she realized she knew just how to get up to him.

Wild Thief helped Brave over to Faith and left him there as he jogged over to join Heart. "So how're we gonna beat him? None of us can fly! I mean, I can jump pretty high, but it won't be enough."

"I learned a new trick while I was dead," Heart told him. "If you and the others can handle things, I'll take care of him."

Wild Thief looked around, pleased to see only two Dark Ones remaining and only a handful of Heartless. He grinned, twirling his large daggers. "Easy peasy! Just leave it up to me!"

Fueled by his enthusiasm, Heart stretched out her hand and called forth a new weapon-a shimmering katana which was red at the hilt and faded to white as the blade tapered to a point. She held it out in front of her, tip pointing straight up, and then lifted it high above her head. _"Light Burst!"_

A kaleidoscope of pink erupted from the weapon, washing over her battle-worn allies without harm. The Heartless shrank back at the surge of power, unsure of what to do, while the remaining Dark Ones screeched loudly and reeled back in pain.

White Rose landed after catching her shuriken, casting a look around for the source. She froze in surprise when she saw Heart.

Heart lowered her weapon and leaped high into the air. Using the technique she learned from the dancing figures, she propelled herself higher when she began to slow. It wasn't long before she was within attacking range.

She lifted the katana in front of her. _"Spirit Blossom,"_ she whispered. At once, the weapon shifted. A ribbon of glittering pink wound its way around the blade, as thin as paper but as resilient as steel. Small flowers grew from the pink, turning white the larger they were.

Xemnas turned to face her as she jumped once more, blade poised to strike. He dodged, summoning a blade of harsh red light, which hummed softly.

Heart found herself in a slight dilemma. Every time she jumped, she was forced to focus her energy which meant that for a brief period of time she was completely open to attacks. Dodging was another issue. She had only mastered how to jump up.

'_I need to finish this quickly._' Heart swung her blade as she began to fall, unleashing a wave of energy.

Xemnas easily blasted it away and then raced down to strike her with his weapon.

Heart blocked as she fell, wincing at the force he used.

"Do you truly believe you can win?" He questioned. "You failed before. Each and every one of you."

Heart gritted her teeth and propelled herself slightly up and to the side. "Shut up!"

Xemnas was before her in an instant, keeping up with her freefall. As he raised his blade to strike, she jumped over him.

Heart spun her blade in a full circle, leaving behind a trail of energy. Slicing through the circle, she yelled: _"Energy Blast!"_

Power blasted free of the ring, racing towards Xemnas. The man tried to dodge, but half of his body got caught in the attack. A horrific scream of pain filled the air as the energy dissipated.

"You!" Xemnas spat venomously as he began sinking into a portal of darkness. "You failed experiments will never beat me! Just you wait…!" He vanished with a low cackle.

Heart fell back to the ground and landed heavily on the pavement, a poorly cast 'float' spell from Roxas keeping her from breaking her legs.

"Kairi!"

The redhead was first bombarded by a hysterical Melodious Nocturne and Passion Soldier, both of whom were crying in their joy of seeing her alive.

Sora was next, gently brushing her arm as if she were made of dust and would disappear any time.

"Kairi!" A relieved Dancing Flames elbowed them out of the way. He stared for a brief second and then swept her into a hug. "Don't you _ever _do that again," he whispered harshly.

Heart coughed and pushed him away so she could breathe properly. "It's not something I'm eager to experience again."

"_Kairi…"_

A voice more soft than the clamor of the others reached Heart's ears and made her heart ache. She eased Dancing Flames aside, mindful that he was relieved to see her and that he wasn't intentionally in her way.

Standing back from the others was White Rose, who looked as though she would break down and start crying at any moment.

Heart took one step forward. It was rapidly followed by another and then another until she found herself running into the arms of the raven-haired Knight. She grasped the front of her kimono-like dress, not once wondering about her actions.

"I'm sorry," Heart whispered. "I- I forgot everything. I thought I remembered but I really didn't and that hurt you."

White Rose comfortingly wrapped her arms around the pink-suited Soldier. "I'm just glad your alive."

Heart nodded, not trusting herself to say anything else.

Light footsteps came running towards them as the two girls split apart. With a grin, Wild Thief came to a stop and saluted Heart. "Me and Cloud just took care of the last Dark One and Courage is finishing off the Heartless as we speak. Looks like the town's safe for now!"

"We should leave before people come out of hiding," Riku said. "The last thing we need is to be blamed for the destruction of the town. We'll all meet back at Cloud's for a meeting."

* * *

Cloud watched the people in his living room talk from whatever space they managed to grab to sit down in. Leaning against the doorway, he felt content for the first time in many years. It wasn't a feeling he was used to. The last time he felt that way was before he, Sora, and Roxas moved to Destiny Island. Back when _he _was still around.

Kairi, Yuffie, and Selphie were squished onto the loveseat, with Demyx sitting on one of the arms and Zidane lazily stretched across the back, using his tail to tease the girls. Riku was occupying the recliner with Sora in his lap. On the floor between the two pieces of furniture were Rinoa, Tifa, and Garnet. In the computer chair, which had been literally rolled down the stairs thanks to Zidane, was Squall. In the remaining space in the middle of the room were Roxas, Axel, Elena, Zexion, Larxene, Marluxia, Olette, and Naminé.

Aqua, Ventus, and Terra had declined the invitation to talk, promising to stop by the next day to find out what had been discussed. They had taken a still-unconscious Hope, in her civilian form, along with them

Cloud's heart began beating rapidly.

'_What is this?'_ He ducked out of the room to rest along the outside wall. Slowly breathing in and out, he tried to calm his heart. _'It can't be time already. No! It's too soon!'_

In the living room, Riku suddenly went silent in the middle of laughing at a joke Sora was telling.

"Riku…?" Sora questioned.

Cloud looked down the hall and stared at the front door. Within a matter of seconds, a firm knock sounded. Cloud began to tremble and found it difficult to breathe.

There was a second knock at the door, louder than the first.

Roxas pulled himself away from Axel's side and walked into the hallway. Casting a curious look at Cloud, he asked: "Are you getting the door?"

Cloud said nothing, still staring at the door, his eyes shifting between shades of blue and aquamarine.

"Cloud?" Roxas asked, wondering what was wrong with his brother. He'd never seen him look so afraid.

There came a third knock at the door, much more insistent than the last.

"I'm going to answer the door," Roxas said, trying to gauge Cloud's reaction. When the older blond's expression went unchanged, Roxas headed for the door. He glanced back at Cloud before opening it. Looking back to see who it was, a gasp escaped his throat and he subconsciously took a step back.

The man's aquamarine eyes immediately found Cloud's as a smile crossed his chiseled face. "It's been a while, Cloud."

* * *

Riku excused himself right after Roxas left the room, telling Sora he was going to get a drink. He tried to quickly maneuver his way around everyone, but by the time he reached the doorway Roxas had already opened the door.

He reeled back when he heard the voice, nearly falling on top of Olette.

"Riku!" Olette exclaimed, quickly moving her hand. "What's wrong with you?"

"S-sorry." Riku's eyes darted around the room. He needed a way out. He wasn't ready to face him yet. He wasn't ready to face the past.

He panicked when he heard heavy footsteps moving down the hall. He scrambled back across the room, diving behind the recliner.

"Riku?" Sora asked, peering over the back of the chair. "What are you doing? What's wrong?"

Riku whispered something that Sora had no problem hearing. The lithe brunet turned around in time to see a man with stunningly long silver hair walk past the room.

Everyone fell silent, the joking atmosphere evaporating.

Roxas hurried back into the room, looking rather pale, and came to an abrupt stop when he saw the confusion on everyone's faces.

"Who is that?" Selphie asked. "A friend of Cloud's?"

Kairi worried her lower lip, a memory drifting to the surface of her mind. "Roxas, is that One-Winged Soldier?"

Naminé, Olette, Elena, and Garnet looked suddenly on-edge. Even Zexion appeared bothered by the news.

Selphie looked between her friends, her brows furrowed. "Who?"

"You weren't there," Naminé said quietly. "We weren't allowed to talk about it. We wanted to."

"What's the big deal?" Axel asked. "I mean, sure, he was the first Soldier and all, but he didn't seem that bad to me."

"You didn't have the…" Kairi paused and glanced at the doorway. "…_pleasure_ of fighting him."

Garnet shivered and hugged her knees to her chest. Rinoa and Tifa immediately comforted her, gently patting her shoulders and offering smiles.

"You had to fight him?" Yuffie asked, her brown eyes going wide. "But that's crazy! All we had to do was listen to him talk and demonstrate moves. Then we had to fight each other and listen to him mock us." She glared at the doorway. "Jackass."

Kairi nudged the girl and hissed _"Yuffie!" _

"What?"

"He's right in the hallway!"

"So?"

"He might hear!"

"Oh, you're right! I should talk louder so he hears me for sure!"

Selphie started giggling at the two, unable to restrain her joy of seeing them interact. It took her a minute or so before she remembered she still knew nothing about One-Winged Soldier, nor why the others couldn't tell her about him.

"Okay, so _why _couldn't you tell me?"

"Cloud ordered us not to," Olette said.

Naminé nodded. "He was really strict about it too, though I kind of understand why. Him being the very first Soldier was a big deal!"

"The first…" Elena murmured with a frown. She bowed her head in thought, her long hair shielding her eyes and making it difficult to tell what she was thinking.

"Oh!" Selphie clapped her hands together in glee. "Then I do know about him! Zexion already told me a little about the first Soldiers!"

Sora gaped at the slate-haired teen. "You did?"

"I was explaining the partnership between Soldier and Knight," Zexion said, shifting uneasily. "I didn't mention names."

"Does Cloud know?" Roxas demanded.

Zexion shook his head. "Selphie was the only one I told."

Selphie's glee slowly slipped away. "A-are we in trouble? Is it bad that Zexion told me? All he wanted to do was reassure me that Squall is going to be okay!"

"If Cloud finds out, it could be trouble," Roxas said seriously. "Even worse if Sephiroth finds out."

Selphie put her hands in her lap, her face rapidly going pale. "I-…" She looked helplessly at Elena. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "I told Elena… I knew she was curious and I didn't think it would hurt…"

The room went painfully silent. Everyone looked at Roxas, wondering what he was going to say.

There was a startled squeak from the hallway, which drew attention away from Roxas. Seconds later Cloud walked into the room with the silver-haired man.

"Sephiroth…" Sora whispered.

Riku vanished completely behind the chair, doing everything in his power to stay hidden from the man.

Sephiroth gazed around the room, his cold, calculating eyes pausing to rest on each individual person for a few brief seconds. "It is time you all knew the truth."

"W-why now?" Elena asked bravely. She barely flinched when he directed his eyes onto back onto her.

Sephiroth said nothing for a moment. He turned his gaze from the girl to Sora, who stubbornly met his stare.

"The enemy knows of our past, yet you do not. It is a weakness I wish to remedy." He looked slightly to the left of Sora. "I cannot accurately deliver the truth when half is not my story to tell, _Riku._"

Riku stiffly stood up, a mask of indifference plastered on his face. "Yours comes first, Sephiroth."

"Indeed it does."

Cloud tried to move away, but was quickly immobilized by a strong arm around his shoulders.

"Being a Soldier is no gift. We were not meant to protect the worlds. We were created to destroy them." Sephiroth ignored the startled gasps around the room. "There were three of us in the beginning. Myself, Genesis, and Angeal. Genesis was never stable. He let his jealousy, his negative emotions, overcome him and he dragged Angeal down with him. The two went insane and destroyed the laboratory, allowing myself to escape. They perished along with the laboratory and the leading scientists.

"I could feel the pull of insanity. However, I was not going to let it overcome me. I left, going to the mountain range in the Nibel area. I knew I could survive there, where no one else dared to tread. That was until one idiot boy dared to go up into the mountains." His grip on Cloud's shoulders tightened as he pulled the man closer to him. "I thought for sure that I had killed him. I had allowed the insanity to overtake me. Before I knew it, I was carrying him into the nearest town trying to find a doctor. I did everything I could to save him."

Cloud tentatively moved a little closer and used one hand to clutch the back of Sephiroth's shirt.

Sephiroth loosened his grip, his eyes going soft when he looked down at the blond. "I gave part of myself to him. It worked, but from that moment on I was bound to that boy. We went back into the mountains. I knew I would lose control if we stayed near people. I trained him, surprised when his strength grew far beyond my expectations. He was strong enough, fast enough, to keep up with me. It didn't take long before he learned to materialize his own, personal weapon. From that moment on, we were officially Soldier and Knight. I never wanted to be left alone again. I realized that I needed him.

"We stayed in the mountains for years, avoiding all human life. In time, someone found us. We were asked to traverse the world and take care of the rapidly multiplying monsters. We agreed.

"Then others began appearing. Somehow, that _**man's **_research had been found and resurrected. I took it upon myself to destroy them and the research. Every last trace had to be erased from history. _Permanently._" Sephiroth raised his eyes to Riku and stopped talking.

"Riku…" Sora twisted around and gently took his boyfriend's hand, looking up at him pleadingly.

The nineteen-year-old moved out from behind the couch and sat down on the arm of the recliner, seeking comfort from Sora. He took a few steadying breaths and then looked at the people gathered in the room. "I was one of the new Soldiers. I… I didn't take well to the experiments. There were long periods of time where I couldn't remember anything. I'd wake up on top of buildings. In the middle of the woods. In a cave, snowed in on some mountain. Washed up on the shores of Costa del Sol or Junon. No matter where I ended up, the scientists found me and took me back to the lab.

"I knew the others were vanishing. The scientists got panicked for a while and I started waking up in the lab instead of in random towns. But one day… I don't know what happened. I broke loose. I… I kidnapped someone. A boy who lived in Nibelheim. But, um…"

"The boy had a brother," interrupted Roxas. "And that brother wasn't very happy. In fact, the brother was furious enough to follow them up into the mountain range, armed with his swords, intent on getting him back."

It was Sora's turn to talk. "Something happened while we were on Mount Nibel. We've never been able to explain this. Riku was all out of sorts and I was hyperventilating. All Roxas can remember is attacking Riku and then nothing. But Riku's powers split between the three of us. My abilities leaned more towards that of a Knight's, but Roxas's acted more like a Soldier's. I guess it makes sense now." He nodded at Axel. "Cloud and Sephiroth found us soon after that and took us in. They trained us and helped Riku with control. And for a while we were the only ones. Sephiroth had taken care of all the research and the monsters were becoming fewer and fewer. We found a way to leave for a new world."

"We selected Radiant Garden," Sephiroth said. "It was a fairly young world at the time and we were able to easily settle in and start new lives. Things changed when Prince Ienzo was born. We received word of a naturally-born Soldier in Spira. Cloud and I went to make sure there would be no complications. What we found was a powerful Soldier who was less prone to being contaminated by insanity. We were rather relieved to know that it wasn't the result of a new scientific experiment. We returned home to Radiant Garden and lived in peace for several more years before we caught wind of new Soldiers in Balamb."

"Me and…" Squall hesitated, lowering his voice in sadness. "…and then everyone else followed."

Silence came over the room.

Riku slid from the arm of the chair into the seat, pulling Sora into his lap.

"But that means we weren't created," Elena said slowly. "The rest of us were born, right? That means we weren't meant to destroy the worlds. We really are meant to protect people!"

Cloud nodded. "It was something each of you needed to understand. If Xemnas had announced the origin of Soldiers in the middle of a battle, what would you have done? Though I wasn't expecting Sephiroth to arrive for another few days."

Sephiroth chuckled low in his throat, looking down at the blond in his arms. "I missed you, Cloud. Ten years is a long time."

"You were the one who left," Cloud said angrily, pulling away from him. "You dumped us here and left because you were angry that I was only twelve. You couldn't stand not being able to touch me!"

Sora choked and turned to bury his face in Riku's shirt.

Roxas's face turned as bright as Axel's hair as he sputtered and sat down, staring at Cloud in surprise. He could barely remember the last time he had seen such emotion from his brother.

Yuffie and Selphie started giggling, though they did a decent job of staying quiet. Kairi's jaw dropped as she watched the two. Not even Reno, in all his frustrating glory, could get Cloud to yell like that.

The others watched in disbelief.

"You were the one who chose to be reborn," Sephiroth said coolly. "You would still be alive to help them now, just as I am."

"Sora and Roxas needed me."

"_I _needed you."

Tifa's mahogany eyes flickered between the two. "Maybe we should go. It looks like you two need some time alone." She stood up, extending her hands to Rinoa and Garnet to help them up.

Zidane wiggled off the couch to stand by Garnet's side. He just barely resisted the impulse to take her hand or brush up against her.

"Um, yeah! Us too!" Olette jumped to her feet, pulling Naminé with her. "Gotta go, um, do something." She pulled her petite girlfriend out of the room without another word, trying not to look Sephiroth in the eyes.

Kairi got to her feet next, deciding it was up to her to round up everyone else and get them out of the house. "I'm hungry. Who's with me? I say we go out and take up three tables and disturb all of the old people trying to enjoy a peaceful dinner."

"I'm game!" Demyx immediately agreed.

There was a smattering of approval from the others before everyone stood up and hurried from the room, leaving Sephiroth and Cloud alone to have an overdue talk.

"Sephiroth…"

The silver-haired man said nothing, instead swooping down to capture Cloud's lips in an unadulterated kiss.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Two chapters left and only a week to finish both of them in! Fall begins next Tuesday (the 21st) and that's my deadline. My real goal is to finish it before then, so at least by the 20th.

**Next chapter - **_Reality 22_

_Zexion discusses plans for rebuilding Radiant Garden, with encouragement from Demyx. Tidus seeks training so he can help fight. Yuffie and Kairi go on a date. Then the day of the final battle arrives._


	32. Reality 22

**For Love**

_Reality 22- Monday, May 18 - Saturday, May 23_

_Monday_

"Ven?" Aqua called, stepping lightly into the living room. Light blue eyes scanned the surroundings, but found no sign of the boy in question. She sighed and unbuttoned the top button of her striped shirt, already feeling the stress of the day beginning to creep in.

Terra exited the kitchen with an unfolded newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. It was his fourth cup of the day, though he would never dare inform Aqua of that. She would immediately get worried that his nightmares had returned. He paused when he saw her standing in the entryway with a puzzled look on her face.

"Has Hope still not awakened?" He asked.

Aqua shook her head. "Not at all. And now Ventus has gone missing again! Have you seen him?"

"Not since this morning," Terra replied. He sighed and folded up his newspaper when Aqua sadly lowered her gaze to the floor. "Ven is strong. He can take care of himself. Besides, it's not the first time he's gone running off."

"That's my point," Aqua said. "He does this _every day_. Don't you find that even the slightest bit odd?"

"He's a seventeen-year-old charged with the duty of protecting the worlds. If he wants to go find a place to relax in town and be a normal kid, then I say we let him." Terra rustled the paper and walked over to take a seat in front of the glass wall.

Aqua followed after him, hesitating before sitting down in the chair next to his. "I don't mean to worry so much. It's just… every day? We don't even know where he goes. I can't help but feel that we should be setting boundaries. Creating rules about leaving the house without telling someone."

"He doesn't need parents, Aqua. He needs friends." Terra shifted so he was facing her and took her hands in his. "More than anything, right now, he needs us as his friends. But maybe you're right. We should be telling each other when we're leaving. Whatever rules we come up with, whatever boundaries, we all need to follow them."

"Yeah…"

They sat in silence for a few minutes, uncomfortable in each others presence for the first time in years. It was as if there was a great, looming darkness between them, preventing them from effectively understanding one another.

The front door opened and the two turned to look, watching as Ventus cautiously peeked inside. His eyes went wide when he spotted the two sitting near the window.

"Ven?" Aqua asked, standing up.

"Uh, hi!" Ventus exclaimed, trying to escape back out the door without seeming overly suspicious. "Nice weather we're having. I think I'm gonna go back out and enjoy it some mo- No!" He ducked down, trying to catch something, only to have it slip through his fingers.

A wiry-haired creature tore through the house, yipping as it ran circles around Aqua's legs.

Startled, Terra got to his feet, imagining that it was some sort of crazy Heartless following Ventus around. He started laughing when it zipped past him and jumped onto the wooden chair he had just vacated, realizing he was worried over nothing.

"Buster!" Ventus moaned. The little dog had caused him so much trouble on the walk over and now she was making things worse. At least Sunshine and Bruce had the sense to stay outside until he told them to go inside.

A wet nose nudged his leg and he looked down to see Sunshine standing there, her tongue lolling out of her mouth like always.

"Ventus, what is this?" Aqua asked.

Ventus fidgeted, unsure of what to make of the tone Aqua was using. She was either angry or amused and he didn't know which one he would prefer. "I've been taking care of them. They live in an ally close to where I used to live. I've been going over there every day to feed them and make sure everything is okay."

Terra smirked and nudged Aqua, who frowned at him before turning her attention back to Ventus.

"People are fixing up the lot though and they don't have anyplace to go. I've been taking care of them for so long so I thought… maybe they could stay here?" He looked hopefully at his friends. "I was going to ask, but Buster isn't very patient. So can we keep them here?"

"How many?"

"Yes!"

Aqua glared at Terra. He stared coolly back at her, not backing down.

"It's just a couple of dogs, Aqua. We're home most of the time now anyway."

"We have jobs, Terra," Aqua retorted. "And Ventus has school. We can't leave them alone in the house!"

"Then we won't leave them in the house," Terra said. "We have a garage. Or we could fix a place up outside. It'd be a nice project for me and Ven!" He smiled at the teenager. "What do you think, Ven? You wanna help me put up a fence and build them a shelter?"

Ventus nodded eagerly, not trusting himself to speak. He'd won Terra over. Or rather, _Buster_ had won him over. He just needed to convince Aqua.

Sunshine nudged the door open to hobble inside, not going more than a foot from Ventus. She looked around with weary brown eyes and then peered up at Aqua through orange eyelashes.

Behind her, Bruce peaked in, but didn't dare take a step over the threshold without permission.

Aqua's gaze softened at the sight of Sunshine. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad… They seem well behaved too."

Buster yipped and spun a circle on the chair before lying down.

"So that's a 'yes'?" Terra prodded.

"Yes," Aqua replied.

Ventus's eyes lit up and he ran across the room to hug Aqua and then Terra, whispering "thank you" over and over again.

* * *

Kairi stood outside of the movie theater, waiting for her friends and date to arrive. She didn't feel at all ready for the group date, though Sora had arranged it the week before, right after they left Cloud and Sephiroth alone to get reacquainted.

She felt underdressed, having decided on a pair of jeans and a green tank top before leaving the house rather than her usual sundress or skirt. The material felt rough against her skin, making her feel even more uncomfortable.

"Kairi!"

She looked to her right to see Riku approaching with Sora latched onto his arms. The brunet had a bright smile on his face, looking as happy as ever. Riku appeared as though he was ready to tell Sora off for something, only maintaining a strained happy expression to keep the peace. There was no sign of Roxas or Axel anywhere.

"Roxas and Axel bailed on us," Sora explained when they reached her. "But don't worry! We called someone else. And Yuffie should be here any second!"

Not knowing who else was joining them made Kairi's anxiety increase. It could be _anyone_. She hoped it wasn't Selphie and Irvine. Sure, Selphie was one of her best friends, but she was also an incorrigible matchmaker. She wouldn't leave things alone if she were to tag along for the group date.

The thought of Marluxia and Larxene joining them sent a shiver down her spine, though she doubted they would agree to join them. They preferred spending time alone.

Olette and Naminé wouldn't be so bad. They wouldn't pressure her into agreeing to something she didn't want to do. Olette would drop what she considered helpful hints and Naminé would sit idly by, giggling every now and then.

If those two joined them, Kairi would consider herself lucky.

Another option was Zack and Aerith, though she hadn't seen either of them in over a week. The last time she had seen them was at the ice cream shop, though she thought she spotted them the other day.

Kairi frowned. _'I get the feeling they're avoiding us… but why?'_

So caught up in her musings, it was too late for her to defend herself when a mullet-haired blond snuck up and attacked her, pulling her into a fierce hug and ruffling her red hair.

"Gotcha!" Demyx jubilantly exclaimed. He laughed when she struggled in his grasp. "You're not going to space out like this on the entire date, are you? I don't think Yuffie would appreciate that."

Kairi found an opening and shoved him away, her face flushed. "D-Demyx! Don't do that!"

"Do what?" He asked, grinning.

Kairi pinched his arm, smirking when he uttered a cry of pain.

Zexion cleared his throat as he walked over to them, holding out a ticket to Demyx. "If the two of you are done being children, I'd like to go inside _before _the movie starts."

"But Yuffie isn't here yet," Kairi said.

Demyx turned her around to face the ticket booth, where Yuffie was chatting with a girl who had her brown hair pulled back in a braid. She laughed, showing off her white teeth, and then took the pair of tickets offered to her. With a wave, she walked away to join Kairi and the others.

"Who was that?" Kairi asked.

"Hmm? Oh, that's Marlene. She's a friend of Denzel's," Yuffie said. She held out a ticket to Kairi, her brown eyes more cheerful than ever. "You're not jealous, are you?" She asked teasingly.

Kairi blushed as she accepted the movie ticket. "N-no way! Let's go inside. I'll buy you some popcorn."

Yuffie grinned and took Kairi's hand, holding tight to it. "How about we share one? This is a date, after all!"

Kairi swore her face was going to be permanently red once the day was over. It wasn't right, being affected so much by one person.

Taking a deep breath, Kairi mustered up a smile, reminding herself that even though it was a date, it was also a chance for them to become better friends and get to know one another better.

'_That's what dating is,' _spoke up part of her mind.

Kairi ignored it as they walked into the movie theater. _'We're just two friends hanging out. That's it.'_

* * *

Elena sat alone at the kitchen table in the Sinclair house, waiting for Roxas and Axel to come back downstairs. She strummed her fingers on the tabletop, wondering what was taking them so long.

She rolled her eyes. _'On second thought, I don't want to know. Though they could have at least told me to leave.'_

There was a suctioned noise as the front door was shoved open, followed by a stumble and a mild curse. A second later a lanky redhead entered the room, looking as though he was about ready to pass out.

"Hey, ma, I- Whoa, you're not ma." He stopped and stared at her as if she was some unique species he had never seen before. "Who're you?"

"Elena Hawkeye," she introduced herself, standing up to hold out her hand for him to shake. Even in the face of someone as rude as him, her habits she mastered during her days as a cadet at Gaia's military school came as easily as breathing.

He stared at her hand for a moment before shrugging. "The name's Reno," he said as he stepped forward and shook her head. "You can't be a friend of Axel's, as much as he likes blonds." He smirked and stepped back, his green eyes roving over her appraisingly. "Nah, you must be one of Kai's friends. She's out right now. Probably won't be back 'til late."

Though she felt uncomfortable by his gaze, she didn't let it show. "I'm here to talk to Roxas."

Reno snorted and walked into the kitchen. "You might as well leave and come back in an hour or two. Axel'll do everything he can to keep that kid in his room."

A plastic Frisbee flew from somewhere behind Elena and entered the kitchen. By the sounds of the explosive cursing from Reno, as well as the sound of something being dropped and shattered, it had effectively beamed him in the head.

"Shut up, you bastard," Axel said as he and Roxas walked into the dining room. "I spilled grape juice on Roxas so he was cleaning up."

Reno reentered the room, rubbing his head. "Damn, that fuckin' hurt. Where'd you learn to throw like that?"

Axel smirked.

"Never mind," Reno grumbled. "I'll be upstairs. You can have your damn secret meetings in peace. Not like I care if you wanna go get yourselves killed fightin' some freaky monster." He continued to grumble to himself as he left the room to go upstairs.

"_Someone's _in a good mood," Axel said, rolling his eyes. "Don't mind Reno. He's just jealous because his job sucks."

"He knows about us?" Elena asked sharply.

"He was kidnapped, remember?" Roxas said. "Him and Tidus both recognized Axel and Kairi. It's not like we have any way to erase people's memories. Him knowing about us is the least of our worries. Apparently he knows how to fight. Tidus is the one I'm worried about."

"Because Ocean gave him that sword?" Elena asked.

Roxas nodded. "He doesn't have any training outside of the friendly sparring we did as kids. Sora thinks he'll be okay, but I'm not convinced. Tidus doesn't know the gravity of the situation we're in."

"It'd help if you explained things to him!" Axel said as he walked into the kitchen.

Roxas scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, his blue eyes narrowing.

"He seems like a smart guy," Elena said, carefully choosing her words. "It couldn't hurt to explain what's going on, could it? Then maybe he'd stay out of the fight."

"I've tried. Sora talked to him too. I'm still not convinced," Roxas said tersely.

Axel walked out of the kitchen with a jug of tea and three glasses. "_Explained _what, exactly? From what I heard, Sora glossed over the details when he told Tidus what's going on. That's hardly enough to sate his curiosity and _that _is what will get him into trouble."

"We can't tell him everything. He doesn't need to know what happened in the past, it'll only confuse him more."

"Yeah, because_ we _aren't confused," Axel retorted sarcastically. "I say you tell him and get it over with. He'll find out eventually."

"No, he won't. Not without one of us telling him."

"You really think Kairi will sit idly by and not tell one of her best friends what's going on? It was only a matter of time before he found out about us anyway, even if he hadn't been kidnapped."

"Kairi's not that weak-willed."

"So you'd like to believe."

Elena cleared her throat, interrupting their argument. "What if someone trained him and really explained what he can and can't fight. If he could really see what we're up against, maybe he wouldn't be so eager to help us fight."

"Who would train him?" Roxas asked. "We're all busy with scouting out the town and the other islands. No one has the time to spare to sit by and watch him."

Elena smirked, feeling victory within her grasp. "Aqua, Terra, and Ventus were charged with the task of watching over Hope. Until she awakens, they have the time."

Axel looked impressed with the idea.

Roxas sighed and uncrossed his arms. "Cloud's not going to be happy about this."

* * *

_Tuesday_

"You're weak," Sephiroth sneered.

Cloud glared at him, hefting up his sword to attack again. "Shut up."

Sephiroth blocked the blond's next attack as if it were as easy as breathing. "Why allow yourself such weakness in battle? You are stronger than this."

Cloud grunted as his neck attack sent him spinning around. He let the momentum carry him, righting himself the second Sephiroth returned to his line of vision. "It's not a weakness. This is the way I prefer to fight."

Sephiroth narrowed his cat-like aquamarine eyes. "You prefer fighting with limited access to your abilities? Even you aren't so great a fool, Cloud. Transform or else I end this fight before it has a chance to truly begin."

Cloud readjusted his grip. "You can't bully me into doing what you want anymore. I'm not transforming for you or anyone else!"

Sephiroth silently transformed, his cotton clothing melting away to be replaced by his leather ensemble. His sword, Masamune, appeared in his hands with an intimidating gleam. "Let me see you defeat me." He lunged forward, delivering a series of quick attacks that had Cloud on the defensive.

Fear darkened Cloud's blue eyes as he backed away, trying to keep up with the flurry of strikes. His inner power began building up, reacting to his fear. He tried to push it back, but only succeeded in aggravating it more. Tendrils of energy broke free, twirling lazily up his arms, as One-Winged pressured him to focus on blocking his attacks.

"_Cross Slash!" _Cloud attempted to put an end to the relentless attacks and rid himself of the energy flowing from his body.

Instead of backing away, One-Winged pressed closer, somehow managing to wield his lengthy sword in close combat. "You still persist in holding back? Very well. _Fervent Blow!" _He quickly struck five times, each blow sending waves of energy into Cloud.

"_Protega!"_

The sudden appearance of a barrier had One-Winged stepping backwards in surprise.

Sora jumped down from the rooftop, landing squarely in front of Cloud with his sword held in a protective manner. "Leave him alone, Sephiroth. If he doesn't want to transform, then don't make him!"

"Then why don't I test you instead?"

Sora narrowed his eyes. "I can transform on my own, thanks. As long as Riku and I are together, we can control our powers. And Roxas…" He shrugged. "He's Roxas. He's always had the best control."

Sephiroth raised his sword to strike. "Then prove it to me."

Sora ducked, letting the attack swish over his head. Just as he was preparing to roll out of the way, dark fire slammed into One-Winged's side, knocking him away. He smiled at Riku, his blue eyes shining.

Then Sora turned his attention back to One-Winged and fished a tiny silver key from his pocket. "I am Optimistic Light, Guardian of the New Generation and the Knight of Light. I am not afraid of you, or my abilities."

The key began to glow, enveloping his entire body. When it faded, he was revealed in the garb of a Knight, though instead of being white like the others who used white magic, his clothes were black, with bright splashes of red, goldenrod yellow, and blue and hints of white. His mask was black, but lined with white.

Riku stepped up beside Optimistic Light as his clothing bled away to be replaced by a black turtleneck, mostly covered by a white and yellow vest, as well as a pair of blue jeans held up a black belt. His mask was white, as were his fingerless gloves.

"How many years has it been since you last stood before me as the Soldier of Dawn?" One-Winged questioned. "The only one missing now is Tenacious Soldier. And of course…" He raised his eyes to meet Cloud's frigid blue. "The true Living Legacy is still hiding away from me."

"Shut up," Cloud muttered as he stepped up to fight.

* * *

_Wednesday_

The middle of the week found Aqua watching Tidus prance around a training dummy in the sand while Terra and Ventus worked on a dog pen somewhere to the side of the house. She was clad in a light dress, not planning on going out and showing any moves to Tidus that day.

He was doing surprisingly well. He was light on his feet, moving quickly even in the thick sand. His strikes were hard and fast, echoing loudly in the area.

She wondered if he was able to swing the broadsword with the same speed and precision.

"He's not bad," Terra remarked as he and Ventus joined her, ready for a break.

She "hmm'd" in agreement and handed over two bottles of water. Without taking her eyes off of Tidus, she reached down and picked up a wooden sword that held very fond memories for the two beside her. "So which one of you wants to give him a real test?"

Ventus's eyes lit up as he took the weapon, one hand wrapping around a familiar handle in his unique reverse grip. He smiled when he saw Terra's name carved into it. He looked up at the man, hopeful. "Can I?"

Terra nodded. "Go ahead. Just mind the spikes."

Ventus glanced up at the three spikes, which were securely tied onto the end of the weapon. "Of course. Wouldn't want to hurt him!" He laughed lightly and spun the sword before running out through the sand, yelling Tidus's name.

Terra moved closer to Aqua, resting his hand on her shoulder. "How are you?" He asked quietly.

"I'm fine," Aqua replied, looking up at him.

When she smiled, Terra felt the darkness shift, squirming away from the light that radiated from her, filling him with warmth. Only she and Ventus had the power to do that. Without them, without their light, he would have been permanently lost long ago.

His heard swelled with relief. The chasm that he felt between them several days ago was gone, bridged over with something strong enough to withstand even the fiercest of storms. He would be okay. _They _would be okay.

Together, he and Aqua watched Ventus spar with Tidus.

Together, they felt the world begin to shift, as the wind picked up, the ground trembled, and the ocean began to churn.

Their friendship would last.

The peace would not.

* * *

_Thursday_

Zidane was rummaging around in his kitchen in search of something to eat when he heard a knock at the door. The knock wouldn't have been so unusual, had he not been expecting Garnet to drop by that day, though that wasn't for another two hours. He had already informed everyone else that he had plans that day and he wasn't going to go anywhere or let anyone in to hang out.

He paused in his hunt for food, staring at the door. _'Did I imagine that?'_

A second knock came at the door and Zidane abandoned his quest to walk over and see what was going on. Surely Yuffie wouldn't drop by without having a good reason. He opened the door.

He stopped and stared.

"Hello, Zidane."

The sound of the lilting voice snapped him out of his stupor and Zidane slammed the door shut. He took a few deep breaths, trying to convince himself that he hadn't seen the person on the other side of the door.

The person knocked again.

Zidane cautiously opened it, staring up at the person on the other side. Cold blue eyes looked back at him, framed by feathery silver hair.

"I don't even get a 'hello', brother?"

Zidane slammed the door shut again, but this time the man caught it and forced his way inside.

"It seems I'm in a jam and have been forced to return to this place and help you," he drawled. "The least you could do is invite me in."

"I see you're the same asshole as before, Kuja." Zidane crossed his arms over his chest, barring his brother's way.

"And I see that you never learn."

"You're not welcome here. I have things to do."

"Don't let me stop you." Kuja stepped inside and away from the door, giving a mocking, sweeping bow. "I daresay I can find my way around your… home." He sneered at the small, undecorated apartment.

"You're _not _staying," Zidane said, opening the door wider. "I'm having company over later. You need to leave."

Kuja ignored him, walking further into the apartment. "You wouldn't really deny you're only brother a place to stay, would you?"

Zidane gritted his teeth. He couldn't let Kuja get to him. He'd managed the feat before, many, many years ago, back when Radiant Garden existed in its full glory. "You can't play the 'brother' card and expect to get what you want. Why aren't you dead?"

"Harmony and Discord deemed my existence necessary."

Zidane decided the two Gods were his least favorite people at that moment. First they had given Kuja free reign over people's dreams, as well as restoring everyone's memories. Then, just when he was thinking he would never have to deal with the man again, they send Kuja right back into his life, complete with his "holier-than-thou" attitude.

"Whatever." He shut the door, knowing it was useless to do anything else. Kuja didn't want to budge, therefore he wouldn't be budged. Eventually he would grow bored and leave.

At least, Zidane hoped he would. Surely Kuja wouldn't stick around forever.

Right?

* * *

_Friday_

"He won't go away," Zidane moaned despairingly.

He, Garnet, Zexion, Tifa, and Rinoa were sitting at the end of one of two picnic tables that had been pushed together while everyone else ran around Destiny Park acting like children.

Sora, Riku, and Yuffie were over at the basketball court playing a three-on-three game with Ventus, Terra, and Elena while Aqua and Kairi stood back watching and cheering for their favorite team.

Kuja was regaling Selphie, Tidus, Axel, and Demyx with unwanted stories, twirling his feathery hair around one finger. Tidus was steadily turning redder and redder in anger while Selphie and Axel looked noticeably annoyed. Demyx seemed to be the only one unaffected, though it was most likely because he wasn't paying attention to the feminine man's tale.

Naminé and Olette were walking around in the shade of the trees, holding hands and occasionally kissing.

Sephiroth, Cloud, Squall, Marluxia, and Larxene were the only ones missing. The four were off on their scheduled rounds to make sure nothing was amiss on the islands.

No matter what, they had to be ready the very second Xemnas made his move to attack. Setting up watch groups was time consuming, but effective. For whatever reason, Cloud gave them a day off to relax and talk amongst themselves, though all any of them could really think about was the impending battle.

Even Zidane's complaints about Kuja were half-hearted, when normally he'd go on a full-scale rant of why he hated living with him.

"I don't know why you're surprised that he hasn't left," Tifa remarked. "From what Garnet tells me, he'll go out of his way to do exactly what you don't want him to. Besides, where else would he go? He has no job-technically he doesn't even exist-and his social skills are…" She crinkled her nose as she glanced at him. "Lacking."

"You don't have to say it so nicely. He's a jackass," Zidane said. "Why can't he stay with you?"

"_I _have a son to watch out for," said Tifa. "And he'll scare away my customers if I let him stay with me. Not to mention the last thing I need is a drunken Kuja on the loose. I'd think that would be one of your worst nightmares as well."

Zidane frowned, crossing his arms over the table. "It would, if he ever got drunk. He's got a stronger tolerance than Squall, and that's saying something."

"I don't remember Squall ever drinking," Rinoa mused, looking thoughtful.

Garnet leaned conspiratorially across the table, her chocolate brown eyes twinkling. "You mean you've never heard the stories of how Bartz and Zidane tried to get him drunk whenever we visited _Angel Wings_?"

Zidane looked slightly nervous.

Rinoa shook her head. "Squall never mentioned it."

"He wouldn't," Tifa said dryly. "Those stories are just as embarrassing for him as they were for those two. Isn't that right, Zidane?"

Zidane looked everywhere but at the three girls. "I- I don't know what you're talking about. Me? Try to get Squall drunk? I can't believe you think so lowly of me."

"I know I'm not the only one who remembers the trouble you and Bartz caused," Tifa said. "You may not do it on your own, but if you have someone willing to go along with your plans and come up with their own you'll do just about anything. And I know exactly who your co-conspirator is these days." She nodded towards Yuffie, who was doing a victory jig after making a 3-point shot.

"I'll have you know that I haven't tried to get Squall drunk in nearly a year!" Zidane sounded rather proud of himself, realizing only a few seconds later that he had given himself away.

"Okay, now I _have _to hear one of these stories," Rinoa said with a giggle. "Go on, spill!"

Before Zidane could make an attempt to change the subject, Tifa launched into an embellished story in which Bartz and Zidane spiked the wrong drink in their drunken stupor and everyone had to deal with a completely smashed Demyx for the entire night.

"Was it necessary to choose that particular story?" Zexion asked, remembering that incident with a general lack of fondness. _He _had been the one to take care of Demyx that night, dealing with his incoherent babbling and getting him home safely.

Tifa looked apologetic. "It was the first one I could think of."

They chatted for a while longer before Zexion grew tired of the conversation and removed a thick binder from a bag at his side. He flipped it open to a place somewhere in the middle and began reading over his notes, easily losing himself in the flowing script.

"That's not homework, is it?" Demyx asked as he joined them, sounding scandalized. The very thought of doing homework over summer vacation, a time of peace and not worrying about classes and the upcoming semester, was revolting to him.

He slid into the empty space next to Zexion anyway, his love for the short teen overriding his dislike of anything to do with school.

"It's not," Zexion said. "I've been doing some research lately. Since after finals, at the earliest. I'm not convinced it's possible for it to come true, but… a part of me is hoping that it can."

The others looked at him curiously, waiting for him to come out and tell them what was on his mind.

Demyx peered at the words on the page, his eyes lighting up in surprise when they registered in his brain. "Zexion! You're really going to try?"

Zexion nodded. "If there's even the slightest chance of life being sustainable there, I would like to try. There's still a lot I need to consider and I've been unable to find any of the original building plans from when Radiant Garden was first established." He glanced at Zidane and the three girls, almost disappointed when they didn't look at all surprised.

"I always knew it was just a matter of time," Tifa said with a sincere smile. "If there's anything I can do to help, let me know."

Zexion sighed. "Unless you have your own airship, I'm afraid there's not much you can do right now."

Rinoa and Tifa exchanged a glance and then looked back at Zexion, twin smiles breaking out on their faces.

"Actually, we might have the answer to your problem," Rinoa said.

Zexion was rendered speechless for a minute or so. When he found himself capable of correctly stringing words together to form a sentence, he did just that. "You have an airship?"

"Not us," Tifa corrected. "A friend of ours does though. It shouldn't be too difficult to convince him to help us out. Especially if Rinoa helps him get the rest of the parts he needs to fix it up. She's been secretly funding him for years, just in case she ever needed to go to Balamb Garden to help Squall and the others."

Zexion took a deep breath and looked down at his binder. "If that's the case… then there's a lot I need to go over with everyone. But that will have to wait until we've defeated Xemnas. No one will be able to concentrate on this with him looming over us."

Rinoa nodded. "Our friend will need a few weeks to make sure everything's ship-shape anyway. Not to mention the time it'll take to get in the parts and have them installed. We have plenty of time to plan things out."

"Good."

"So…" Demyx tentatively poked the binder. "Can we look at this thing or are you really going to make us wait?"

Zexion chuckled and flipped to the front, explaining to them just what his plans were for the fallen kingdom.

* * *

_Saturday_

White Rose gasped for air as she struggled to pull herself free of the indention she made on a brick building. Her ribs burned every time she breathed in and she could feel blood dripping down her arm to stain the white band on her gloves.

The day had begun spectacularly, with sunny skies and barely a hint of wind. By noon the wind began blowing and dark clouds appeared on the horizon, quickly drawing closer. Had it not been for Aqua's paranoia over the rapid change in weather they never would have been able to arrange themselves around the island to protect the innocent civilians.

"_Cura!" _

Magic settled over White Rose, healing her more minor wounds. She nodded her thanks to Diligent, who waved back and then ran off to help someone else.

White Rose retrieved her weapon and gave it an experimental spin. Grinning tensely, she dashed back into battle, determined to not let the Dark Ones defeat her.

* * *

Cloud struggled against the Heartless and the two Dark Ones surrounding him. His arms trembled from the exertion keeping his massive sword aloft. After clearing two alleys of Heartless and finishing off a Dark One that escaped Love's guard, he was more than ready for the fight to be over.

He couldn't give up. No only was it up to him to keep up the morale of those who looked to him for guidance, as well as take out anything that would only serve as a distraction to Heart and Wisdom as they fought their way to Xemnas, he also had a point to prove to One-Winged.

Although his brothers, and even Riku, had given into the powers their Soldier and Knight forms allowed them, he wasn't going to be so weak.

"_Meteorain!" _He lifted First Tsurugi into the air, unleashing several beams of light, which converged and showered the Heartless with small, meteor-like projectiles, destroying them upon contact.

More of the shadow-like creatures swarmed around him, leaping with sharp claws. He spun around, trying to deter them from getting close, but the more that appeared the braver they seemed to get. For the first time, Cloud cursed himself for having such a large weapon, wishing he had something more similar to his brothers.

Just as they were about to overpower him, a familiar voice called out the name of an attack in a jovial manner. _"High Braver!" _A man-no, a Soldier-wearing a color so blue it appeared purple in the light, jumped down from a nearby rooftop and slammed his sword into the ground, unleashing a massive blade of energy, which took out half the Heartless in the alley.

He grinned as he stood up straight and ran a hand through inky black hair, blue-violet eyes sparking behind a gray mask. "Hey, Cloud. Fancy seeing you here."

Cloud gaped at him. "_Zack?_"

"The one and only!" The Soldier proudly struck a pose. "Though I'm supposed to go by Devotion Soldier or some nonsense right now. Man these things are nasty."

"_Thundaga!"_

Lightning crashed around them, wiping out the remaining Heartless before they had the chance to attack again. A lovely visage of pink, red, and brown ran over to them, slender hands wrapped around a metallic staff.

Cloud knew who she was the second he laid eyes on the pink ribbon in her unbraided hair. "Aerith too?" He breathed, trying to figure out what was going on. He knew they hadn't been Soldiers in the past. They hadn't even _existed _in the past, though there had always been an air of familiarity about them.

"Flower Star," Devotion corrected. "She's my Knight! Isn't she _gorgeous_?"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Zack." The pink Knight put her hands on her hips, unable to keep her lips from curving into a fond smile. "You were supposed to wait before jumping in to save the day, you know. Cloud is perfectly capable of protecting himself, even in his civilian form."

Cloud tensed, while Devotion made a joke about his "hero's instincts".

Flower Star giggled before turning her full attention to Cloud. After shoving her staff into the hands of Devotion, she walked over and lifted her hands to Cloud's face, tutting softly. "Why are you so afraid, Cloud? Your inner abilities are nothing to be ashamed of. You should be proud of that strength. It enables you to protect your friends and family."

"I don't need it." Cloud found himself unable to look away from her peaceful green eyes.

"I know," Flower Star said simply. "I never said you were the one who needed it. Sephiroth does though. It's your powers as a Knight that keeps him sane."

Cloud's eyes went wide. "How-"

"It doesn't matter." Flower Star removed her hands and stepped back. "Transform and go to him, Cloud. He needs you."

"Yeah. We can take care of those nasty things," Devotion said, gesturing to the two Dark Ones looming ever closer. "I'll make quick work of them with this baby!" He affectionately patted his Buster Sword before flashing Cloud a grin. "And with Flower Star by my side I can beat anything!"

Cloud hesitantly nodded, fighting between his desire to stay and fight with his friends and his need to go to One-Winged's side before they had an even stronger adversary to fight. In the end, he gave into the energy coursing within him, transforming for the first time since before the fall of Radiant Garden.

Devotion Soldier and Floral Star watched in relief as the Knight known as Living Legacy, clad in black and silver, ran in the direction of One-Winged.

"Well," Devotion said, spinning his sword. "Let's rumble!"

* * *

Ocean and Brave fought side-by-side, one blasting Heartless away with waves of water and the other impaling them with shards of ice. One pair of blue eyes was calm and clear, if not a bit worried. The pair of stormy blue-gray eyes seemed more gray and lacking their usual spark of life.

"Are you alright?" Ocean asked when she bumped into him.

Brave nodded, saying nothing.

Ocean frowned, but didn't press him. She knew the feeling of losing a loved one only too well. She shook her head and tried to keep her mind on the fight.

"_Blizzard Barret!" _A series of shots rang out from Brave's gun blade. When they collided with the Heartless, they exploded into a pillow of ice, allowing him to then run forward and shatter them.

"_Tornado!"_

The distant cry of Sky's attack caught Ocean's attention and she took her eyes off of the Heartless around them for one moment to figure out where he was fighting. In that one second, a Spiked Crawler rolled its way over to her and then bounced into the air, intending to drop on her with its signature spiky spin.

A blast of fire knocked it off-course.

A confused Ocean spun around, searching for her rescuer. Her eyes went wide at the sight of a tall blond man wearing a black coat.

He jumped down from a rooftop and pointed his weapon at the Heartless, green eyes narrowing in disgust behind his red mask. The red cross-like designs on his coat seemed to glow as he unleashed one of his attacks. _"No Mercy!"_ He swung his weapon-so much like Brave's in design-and sent circular blade of energy ripping through the ground, destroying all of the Heartless around them.

"You should go help your friends," he said to Ocean.

All she could do was numbly nod before running off to find Earth and Sky.

The mysterious man lowered his weapon and strode over to Brave, radiating confidence. He stopped in front of the other man and stared at him for a moment before scoffing and removing his mask, followed by Brave's. "I've always hated these damn things. Nothing should ever cover up those eyes of yours, Squall."

Brave reached up with one trembling hand and touched the man's face, his eyes betraying his wonder. "Seifer," he choked out. _"Seifer!" _

Fire Cross chuckled in surprise when his Soldier threw himself into his arms and gave a tearless sob, clinging to him as if afraid he would leave again. He sobered up when he thought of everything Brave had been through, all because he wasn't strong enough to control himself. _'I'm sorry.'_ He wrapped his arms around Brave, pulling him as close as possible, trying to convey his feelings without words.

Brave pulled away to look at him, making sure it really was Fire Cross standing before him. Then he pulled the man down for a demanding kiss. _'Don't ever leave me again.'_

'_That's a promise.'_

* * *

Heart felt unattached to the world as she unleashed her second _Energy Blast _of the day, watching in horror as Xemnas dodged it and swooped down to attack Peace. The Soldier of Ice swung her arms up, conjuring a thick icy wall to block his path. Nearby, Strength crossed her pistils to unleash her newest ultimate attack.

"_Thunderbolt!"_

Lightning showered down from the dark clouds, completely covering the area Xemnas was last at.

"_Fire Storm!" _

The second the lightning let up, massive fireballs collided in the same area, exploding upon contact.

"_Lovely Arrow Multiply!"_

Heart noted that her friends looked just as exhausted as she felt. Someone needed to end Xemnas soon, or else they'd lose out to fatigue.

"Heart," Wisdom said, stepping up to her side. "He's evading all of our attacks. Something isn't right about this. It's like he's on a whole different level of power than us. The only person I've seen do any damage to him was Faith with one of her _Holy _spells."

The redhead nodded. "I know, but what can we do? Everyone's so spread out…"

"I believe if we channel our energy into one person, they should be able to defeat him. However, should that person fail, we all will be too tired to continue. It's our last shot."

As calmly as he said those words, Heart could detect a trace of fear mingling in his tone. "O-okay, so who do we ask? Faith?"

"You."

"Okay- whoa, wait. What? I can't!"

"You can," Wisdom said. "Because I believe in you and so do the others. I may have once been the prince of Radiant Garden, but you were always our leader when it came to fighting. It can be no one else." He reached up and touched the jewel of her circlet, letting his strength flow into her. "I already told the others that it may come down to this and they all agreed. Now go." He staggered back, looking significantly weaker than before.

"Wis-"

"GO!"

Heart trembled as she began walking towards the crater created by the fierce attacks of her friends. Floating above it was Xemnas, who was watching their feeble attacks with delight in his orange eyes.

"And so the noble Heart is sent into the fray, deluded by her noble prince," he sneered. "Allow me to extinguish that light of yours!"

"Never!" Heart shouted, lifting her blade to the sky. "I am the Soldier of Heart, leader of the inner ring of Soldiers and Protector of my great prince! Mine is a light that can never be extinguished! _You, _however, have no light remaining. Allow me to illuminate the darkness that blankets your being!"

The pink jewel shone as her friends sent their strength to her. Jolts of sparkling power ran along her arms as Strength's energy flowed into her. A licking warmth traveled down her spine as Passion sent her power to her. Her breath frosted in the air as she felt Peace's icy resolve settle over her. Her skin began to glow golden as Love's glorious light washed over her, leaving her feeling empowered.

"_Valor,"_ Heart whispered. A sound like glass shattering echoes in her ears as her the pink of her dress bled to pure red, the white lace turning black while floral designs of the same color spiraled along the bottom of her dress. Her sword rose into the air and split in two, giving her one red-and-blade blade and another of pure white.

Xemnas's eyes narrowed when he witnessed the transformation. Before he could summon more creatures of darkness to his aid, Heart ran forward so fast he lost sight of her for a brief second.

That second was all she needed to deliver her first strike, drawing blood with her dark sword. When she made to attack with the other, he flew into the air.

"_Aero!" _Heart cast the spell in hopes it would knock Xemnas back down to the ground. Instead, it launched her into the air. Her surprise at the unforeseen move quickly gave way to determination as she quickly approached Xemnas. _'I will end this now, before I use up all my strength.'_

She heard the hum of the man's weapon as she closed her eyes, pulling on the power given to her. The words of her final attack came out as a whisper, though everyone watching from the ground could hear her as clearly as if she were right next to them.

"_Radiant Dual Strike."_

Xemnas's mouth opened in a voiceless scream as pure light ripped apart his body, leaving nothing behind.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Totally finished this chapter just before midnight on the 20th. Really, I did. I just needed to go through and add the line dividers and run a spell check. I have yet to reread over this, so if there are any really bad typo's, I apologize.

I almost forgot about my self-imposed deadline. See, I've been playing Birth By Sleep lately, and it's kind of taken over my brain. I've already got one IsaxLea friendship oneshot I need to type up, but it'll have to wait until after tomorrow.

I have no class tomorrow (okay, so it's more like later today, since technically it's already the 21st as I'm writing this) so I'm going to spend it typing up the epilogue. It'll posted before midnight, since I already technically broke my original goal of finishing it by the end of summer. I gave myself the 21st to finish everything, just in case.

You have **no idea **how long I've been waiting to introduce Zack as a Soldier. (Actually, I originally wanted him to be a Knight, but thought him being a Soldier was so much more ironic.) I had the idea since before the chapter with Demyx's birthday. I can now say that the owner of the blue eyes who witnessed them fighting Heartless was Zack.

I never had any intention of Seifer staying "dead". I wouldn't do that to Squall.


	33. Epilogue

**For Love**

_Epilogue_

Kairi dashed through the halls of the castle as fast as she could go without tripping over her feet. Her charcoal pencil skirt hindered her movement and the black high heels she was wearing only made things worse. Her red hair, pulled up into hasty bun, looked as though it'd seen better days as it stuck up all over the place. Papers spilled over her arms, threatening to fall to the floor.

Sunlight shone through the large, ornate windows that lined the hall, though the view was far from pleasing to the eye. Signs of reconstruction stretched as far as she could see. Large cranes hoisted steel bars and blocks of granite to repair the wall surrounding the castle and town. Hammering could be heard even inside the castle and new homes were built. Trucks rumbled by day and night, carrying loads of wood, dirt, roofing, and many more supplies.

As unpleasant as it was to be constantly looking at the rebuilding effort, it filled her with happiness to see it. Neo Radiant Garden had come a long way in five years.

Their first task had been, of course, restoring the castle and ridding the place of lingering Heartless. The Dark Ones were no longer a concern, since all of them vanished with the defeat of Xemnas.

The castle was where they made their base, and where the first people lived until they were able to establish the first set of houses in what used to be Castle Town. Part of the original plan had been to build more houses in the area that had been the Outer Garden, but Marluxia had reacted so violently to the idea that they were forced to change plans. He had happily taken up the chance to recreate the garden, albeit with his own unique touch.

The most recent project was a Market Square, so people wouldn't have to trek up to the castle every day for food and other items. Kairi worried that they were overworking their head of construction design, but every time she offered to find someone to lighten his burden he'd laugh and wave her away, saying that it was a joy to work on it.

She was currently hurrying to his office, wanting to drop off papers from Zexion before going to prepare for the reunion that would soon be taking place.

The last time all of the known Soldiers and Knights had all been in one place had been four years previous, when Neo Radiant Garden's construction had begun. Since then, they had added two more warriors to their ranks.

Kairi stopped outside of a pair of heavy wooden doors to shift the papers in her arms. With her free hand, she tugged the door open and darted inside, only to crash into a firm chest.

Arms grasped her shoulders, holding her in place so she wouldn't fall over.

"Kairi!" Blue eyes lit up in joy at the sight of the redhead.

Kairi smiled up at him. "Thanks, Tidus. On your way out?"

The blond nodded. "Yup. Gotta get ready to see everyone again. I bet you're excited to see Yuffie. It's been, what, three months now? I don't know how you do it."

"Yeah. Me neither," Kairi replied, thinking of the last time she had seen the raven-haired girl. After working out the challenges of living on two different worlds, the two had started to date. At first they had visited each other once a month, neither able to stand being apart for very long. Three months was the longest they had ever been away from each other.

Tidus patted her on the shoulder. "Hey, it'll be okay. Elena mentioned the other day that there's some crazy stuff going down on Gaia. I'm sure we'll hear all about it today." He turned around and waved to the dark-haired man sitting behind a desk covered in various papers. "See you later, boss!" With a final smile at Kairi, he left the room.

Kairi turned her attention to the brown-haired man. "Reeve, I've got some papers from Zexion. Naminé also sent some more sketches of how Radiant Garden used to be."

Reeve gave her a tired smile and gestured for her to come closer. He shuffled aside some papers to make room for the new ones. "Just put it there and I'll go through them later. I want to show you something."

Kairi set down the papers, watching in interest as Reeve opened a drawer and pulled out a few scraps of paper. He flipped through them before nodding and handing one to her.

Her eyes scanned it quickly, taking in the flowing lines of pencil and the various notes scratched along the edges. Flipping it over, she found more of the same, except she could recognize the drawing for what it was. "This is… a building plan?"

Reeve nodded. "It is. But not one of mine. Notice the complexity of it? The curves of the dome and even some of the material listed? It's all very Zanarkand."

"That's in Spira, right?" Kairi asked.

"Correct."

Kairi flipped over the paper, rereading some of the notes. "Interesting… So if you didn't design this, who did?"

"Tidus."

"Tidus?" Kairi gaped at him in surprise, unable to imagine her childhood friend able to draw anything so well. Of course, she had also never dreamed that he would give up Blitzball to become a bodyguard for Reeve, but that was exactly what he did.

"He has some ideas that I would like to incorporate in the rebuilding," Reeve said. "He's already in my office for most of the day. Giving him something productive to do would be good for him. I was thinking of making him my assistant on top of being a bodyguard."

Kairi's mind reeled with the new information. "That's great, but why tell me this? Tidus and Zexion are the ones who have to agree."

"Just running the idea by you, Lady Advisor."

Kairi rolled her eyes at the title. "Please don't start that again. I got enough teasing from the others. Still do, actually." She handed back the scrap of paper. "The reunion starts in a half hour, so I need to get back to work. You're coming, right?"

Reeve nodded. "I wouldn't miss it."

"Great."

* * *

Yuffie was the first off the airship, practically jumping down the stairs in her haste to get off of the flying craft. How she _loathed _flying. Unfortunately, it was the only way she got to see her lovable girlfriend.

She felt herself getting giddy at she gazed up at the magnificent castle. She was going to see Kairi. Seeing all of the other Soldiers and Knights paled in comparison to being able to see the redhead and hold her in her arms again.

Tifa walked off of the airship next with a morose Denzel trailing behind her, disappointed that he couldn't stay home on Destiny Island and spend some quality time with his girlfriend, Marlene.

Rinoa, Garnet, and Zidane were next, chatting amicably amongst themselves. Rinoa had forsaken her usual blue clothing for a pink t-shirt and a pair of white jeans. Garnet was similarly dressed, though her shirt was white and her jeans black. Zidane was dressed the same as always, with a dark blue vest instead of his old brown one.

A sulking Kuja trailed behind them, looking less than happy to be there. He was wearing silk robes, which were most likely covering up an outfit similar to what he wore as Dream Soldier.

Next to exit the airship was an interesting group comprised of Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Sora, and Riku. Riku and Terra seemed to be arguing about something while Ventus and Sora egged them on and Aqua shook her head, chuckling to herself.

The last group contained mostly non-Soldiers. In fact, the only Soldier among them was Elena, who had cut her hair short and was wearing a dark blue suit. Reno and his best friend Rude were also there, in similar blue suits. There was also Tseng, who Yuffie remembered from her past, who was speaking to a blond man who wore all white except for the black vest beneath his jacket.

Yuffie waved to the pilot, Cid Highwind, as he pulled the airship back into the sky to go dock it for the day. She wasn't at all looking forward to boarding it the next day, but she knew she had to go back to Wutai.

"Hey, Yuffie! Which way do we go?" Zidane asked.

Rinoa elbowed him and pointed to the castle. "Where do you think we're going?"

Zidane rubbed his side where Rinoa hit him. "That hurt, Rin. And I just wanted to check. For all I know, we're meeting out on that field where we used to train."

Yuffie felt laughter bubbling up inside of her as she watched them interact. She never thought she'd see the day where Zidane could talk to a girl without flirting with her, but there he was, talking to Rinoa in the joking manner he used to reserve for her and the guys. She was pleased to see that Garnet didn't look the least bit jealous.

"We should get going," Elena said after a quick glance to her watch. "If we keep standing around we'll be late."

Yuffie nodded and led the way to the castle, eager to see Kairi again.

* * *

Kairi stifled a laugh when Yuffie winked at her from across the inner courtyard and then went back to listening to one of Zidane's tall tales involving him, Kuja, Garnet, and Ventus watching over Tifa's bar for the day.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Zexion asked as he walked up beside her.

Kairi glanced up at him before returning her gaze to Yuffie as the girl threw her head back and laughed.

The past five years had been good to her prince, giving him time to grow nearly a foot and gain more muscle mass. He rivaled Squall in height and build, though his face wasn't nearly as androgynous as the brunet's. It was almost a relief to no longer be taller than him.

"I just wish we had more to show them," Kairi said. "Maybe by the next reunion we can at least finish the inner town and be started on places outside of the castle walls."

Zexion nodded. "It shouldn't be too difficult, so long as Rinoa doesn't insist on doing this once a year."

"It wouldn't be so bad seeing everyone together like this every year. Maybe then Cloud and Sephiroth would find the time to drop by." Kairi sighed and looked away from Yuffie, scanning the crowd hopefully.

Not long after they visited the ruins of Radiant Garden for the first time, Cloud and Sephiroth had vanished without a word. Not even Sora, Roxas, or Riku had an idea of where they went and no one had seen or heard from them since.

"It would be nice to have them nearby for guidance," Zexion mused.

"They'll be back when they're needed."

Kairi looked to her left as Riku walked over to join them, having finally escaped the clutches of his overeager boyfriend.

"Hey, you're looking good," she told him.

Riku smiled. "Thanks. You, on the other hand, look exhausted. Both of you." He nodded at Zexion, taking in the younger man's height with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe we wouldn't be so tired if you and Sora would drop by more often," Kairi said, playfully nudging him. "You'll get a kick out of how productive Axel can be when Roxas threatens him over breakfast every single morning."

Chuckling, Riku said: "Sounds like it might be worth staying around for a while. It'd also be nice to catch up on what's been going on." He frowned when he saw Selphie dragging Irvine over to Elena and Reno. "Why's Irvine here?"

"You really don't get any news on Destiny Island, huh?" Kairi asked, sounding amused. "Irvine is Selphie's Knight. We're all figuring it was because Selphie wished for it so hard. Seifer enjoys bringing it up at least once every time we get together. I'm not sure what it is about 'romantic dreams' that makes him and Raijin laugh so hard. I've even seen Squall chuckle at it and Fujin crack a smile! Quistis just kind of rolls her eyes, but I can tell she wants to laugh too."

"I think I might know why," Riku said, but didn't elaborate further. "So who's that guy talking to Tidus?"

Zexion found the pair first, recognizing the silver hair immediately. "Firion Nobara. He's our newest Soldier. It seems he's taken a real liking to Tidus."

Kairi hid a laugh behind her hand, her blue-violet eyes glittering with amusement. "The feeling's mutual, trust me." Catching on to their curious looks, she went on with her story. "Last week I was on my way to deliver some papers to Reeve when I came across Tidus standing in the hallway, staring out the window. I kind of figured he had gotten bored enough to watch construction, so I left him alone. When I left Reeve's office he was still there, staring out the window with a glazed look in his eyes, so I walked over to him to say hello. He didn't even notice me. Of course, I _had _to find out what he was staring at before I interrupted him, so I looked outside and lo and behold, there was Firion puttering about in the garden and talking to _Marluxia _of all people. Those two get along surprisingly well. I think it's because of their mutual respect for plants. But anyway, I noticed he was staring at Firion so I said to him 'hey, whatcha staring at Nobara for?' and he freaked out, jumping nearly a foot and the air and almost smacking me in the face as he turned around. I don't think I've seen him turn that particular shade of red since the time he slipped and fell in a puddle of milk at school in front of Yuna."

"Your method of story telling is disturbingly like Demyx's," Zexion informed her.

Kairi shrugged. "He's one of the few people who has time to stop and talk to me lately. We've been swapping stories for a while now, so it's no wonder some of his habits are rubbing off."

"So, wait," Riku said, holding up a hand as he tried to think through the situation presented to him. "You're not saying that Tidus likes him, are you?"

"Of course he likes him," Kairi said as if it was obvious. "They wouldn't be talking to each other if they didn't get along."

"No, I mean does he _like _him like him?"

Zexion rolled his eyes. "What are you, in the third grade? I find it doubtful that Tidus has any romantic feelings towards Firion when he continues to bring up Yuna whenever someone asks him about his love life. It's become particularly bad lately, with her recent rise to fame as a pop idol."

"I wouldn't say that. Hope was here just the other day and teased him about having a crush on Firion and he freaked worse than the day I startled him. Look how nervous he is standing there talking to him. See the way he keeps rubbing the back of his neck? He only does that when he's nervous," Kairi said with a satisfactory smile.

"Hope was here?" Riku asked curiously.

Zexion nodded. "She wanted to stop by since she knew she wouldn't be making it to our reunion. She's a pop idol with Yuna now. She and another friend of theirs have formed a group they call the 'Gullwings' and they're becoming increasingly popular."

Riku looked intrigued by the thought of a Soldier being so well known in their civilian form. "Her name is Rikku, right?"

"Yup," Kairi replied. "She went to school with us. She's Yuna's younger cousin. Actually, Sora and Selphie wanted to try and set me up on a date with her one time. I'm still not sure how I got out of that, though I think it was because Irvine discouraged Selphie from getting involved."

"With any luck, those two won't find out about whatever's between Tidus and Firion," Riku said wearily. The last thing he needed was a hyped up Sora on a mission. He was already counting down the days until Sora would demand that they move to Neo Radiant Garden.

Zexion cleared his throat and glanced back at the castle doors. "I'm going to go find Demyx. He and Axel have been 'getting drinks' for a while now and I'm almost afraid to find out what sort of trouble they've gotten into. Also, it looks like Elena needs rescuing from Reno."

Muttering something about the blonde having dug her own grave, Kairi moseyed over to where the two were talking while Zexion vanished back inside the castle. Riku stood there for a moment before walking over to Tidus and Firion, wanting to find out more about the silver-haired man.

* * *

Kairi walked out onto the balcony after dinner that evening, wanting a quick breath of fresh air and a little time to herself. After Zack proposed to Aerith and she said "yes" in the middle of the get-together, inspiring a great amount of noise as everyone flocked to congratulate them, Zidane had once again failed in his quest to get Squall drunk, and so half of the Soldiers and Knights were practically falling over themselves in an alcohol induced stupor. As amusing as it was to watch everyone, she wasn't in any mood to see Sora make out with Riku.

She rested her arms on the railing and gazed down at the garden that Firion and Marluxia worked so hard on. Their efforts were beginning to pay off. The plants were flourishing in the imported, nutrient-enriched soil.

She heard the door open and close behind her before the light scent of roses teased her senses. She knew who her company was without turning around and was unsurprised when a pair of arms encircled her waist and pulled her close.

"Nice night," Yuffie murmured.

"Yeah," Kairi breathed with a slight nod. Just as she found herself relaxing in her girlfriend's arms, the Wutaian pulled away. She looked at her curiously, wondering what she was up to.

"Dance with me?" Yuffie asked, holding out her hand.

Kairi laughed and took her hand. "But there's no music."

"Like I'm really going to let something like that stop me." Yuffie bowed her head to place a gentle kiss on the back of Kairi's hand, peering up at her with her dark eyes. She smiled when a faint blush covered Kairi's cheeks. "Unless you'd rather go back inside. I think Sora and Riku have wandered off to bed."

Kairi chuckled and took Yuffie's other hand, placing it on her waist. "You wanted to dance?"

"I did," Yuffie agreed, stepping closer. "But now I think I'd much rather kiss you."

"What's stopping you?"

Their lips met, gently at first, like it was their first kiss all over again. They both pulled back for a moment before Kairi gave into the heated haze that was already taking over her mind. She wrapped her arms around Yuffie's neck and pulled herself up for a much longer kiss.

Her thoughts centered on Yuffie and how warm she felt in her arms. How good it felt to be kissing her again. How much she missed her when they weren't together.

Three months was far too long to be apart. She was going to have to find a way to fix that, even if it meant going against Zexion's orders now and then.

"I love you, Yuffie," she whispered when they separated for a few brief seconds.

Yuffie froze for a second and then smiled brightly and kissed her again. "And I love you, Kairi. So much."

* * *

**The End**

* * *

I don't know whether to be sad or elated that I've finally finished writing this. It is officially the longest story I have ever written and is 198 pages on my laptop, in size 11 font, Times New Roman. 121,935 is the official word count.

I'm looking forward to a nice break from writing long fanfiction. It'll give me time to finish playing Birth By Sleep and prepare myself for National Novel Writing Month, as well as work on stuff for my creative writing class.

I'll be announcing my next multi-chapter fanfiction when January 2011 arrives. Sometime over the next few weeks I'll have figured out which story ideas I want to go with and will put up a poll, just to see what everyone thinks I should write. It doesn't mean I'll actually go with the idea, but voting might help influence me in one direction or another.

Also, I think I'm going to make it my new goal to use the word "mosey" in every multi-chapter story I write. It's a fun word.

If anyone is wondering, Irvine's Knight name is "Valiant Shooter" and Firion's Soldier name is "Rose Soldier".


End file.
